Book 10 - Hunter Games
by GailDunn2
Summary: WARNING: ADULT SITUATIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS. The cure is on the horizon, but what will the consequences be if it is successful? Cas, Gail, Dean, Sam and Frank are miserable, and so is God. Free Will is a bust. Still, Heaven needs heroes, screwed up or not, and history is about to change.


BOOK 10 - HUNTER GAMES

Chapter 1 - Sacrifice Fly

Gail had been missing for a week now, and Cas was a basket case. He had been popping in and out of the house, the apartment, and Hell, over and over again. He had looked for her all over the world. He had even asked Bobby to search Heaven, just on the off chance, and Bobby had shaken his head, saying Cas was crazy, but he had done it. Bobby was extremely worried now, too.

None of them knew what was going on with her now. Had the extra shot of Crowley tipped her over to the other side? Had she and Crowley run off somewhere together? Or had Crowley kidnapped her? That was, if the two of them were even together. But they had to be; their simultaneous disappearance was just too suspicious to be mere coincidence.

Castiel would much prefer the latter, if he was forced to have to choose. But the blood bond scared him beyond measure. If Crowley had her hidden away somewhere, he could be dosing her every day, if he so chose. And if he was doing that, Gail would likely be completely lost to them by now. They could pump as much Winchester blood into her as they liked, but that would not negate the blood bond of two Originals. And why would Crowley not be doing that? Demon Cas would have.

But Demon Cas had been largely absent for the past week. Cas had been too frantic and too heartbroken to be angry at anyone. Anger was just a waste of time in this situation, and it was a luxury Cas couldn't afford. She had to be found.

After a few days, Dean had felt so sorry for Cas that he had extended a standing invitation to him to enter the bunker any time he wanted to. Sam had protested, but to no avail. To be fair, they had seen very little of his Demon persona in the past week, but Sam knew that it was not gone, and he thought Dean was crazy for having done that. Now Cas would be able to come and go whenever he pleased, and Sam was sure this was going to come back and bite them in the ass. And Bobby had agreed with Sam. But Dean had already done it. The elder Winchester wasn't a total idiot, though; he now kept the weapons room locked at all times, with a special lock that was Angel-and Demon-proof, and Dean gave Bobby the key, so Cas couldn't lift it from one of the brothers while they were sleeping.

And that was just fine with Cas. Until he found out where Crowley was, weapons were of no use to him. He had to use his deductive reasoning now. Where could Crowley have taken her that Bobby couldn't see, and Castiel couldn't sense?

They were in London now, or virtual London, at least. Gail had enjoyed being in the tropical setting for a few days, but she had complained of the heat, so Crowley thought she might like England, instead. She didn't mind the rain and the cooler weather at all, and they had toured many of the historical sights together. They had even done the tour of the studio where their favourite book and movie series had been filmed, and they had spent a very enjoyable day reliving the adventures of the boy wizard and his friends.

They were at dinner now, and Gail was laughing at a joke that Crowley had made. He had been at his most charming, treating her like a gentleman, and he had not dosed her again. He was wooing her now, and his efforts seemed to be paying off.

Crowley reached out and took Gail's hand across the table. "Did you have a good day?" he asked her.

"It was terrific," she said, taking a sip of her wine. But then she frowned.

"What's the matter?" Crowley said. She put her glass down and he refilled it automatically.

"Nothing," she replied. She pushed her plate away. They generally never ate that much, but Crowley knew that candlelit dinners were a big part of romance, and he'd wanted to sustain the illusion, so he had provided them with fine cuisine that they could pick at as they talked. It was mainly about the atmosphere and the companionship, anyway.

Now Crowley frowned. But he kept his voice light. "What is it, Gail? You can tell me."

"You're going to be mad," Gail said, picking up her glass of wine again.

"You know I never get mad," Crowley said, smiling. And it was true; he hadn't been mad once in the past week. That had to be some kind of record for him. But they had had such a good time together, and she didn't pull away now when he took her hand. Soon it would be time for him to push it further. And he was anxious to escalate, but he made himself be patient. When she was ready, it would be fantastic. It had been quite a while for him, and Crowley knew that she had been a very willing and enthusiastic partner for Castiel. He hadn't been able to see them in their house or in the bunker due to the protections each place had, but he had been able to peek into the apartment that one time. Castiel had not put any protections on that residence, assuming he would be living there alone. And he had been, save for that one time Gail had popped in unexpectedly. Crowley had watched in fascination, amazed at their appetite and more than a little jealous, both of his Brother's stamina and of his generous endowment, courtesy of their Father. Oh well, no matter. It was all in how you used what you had been given, and Crowley had been pleased to see that she didn't seem to mind variety. His eyebrows had raised a bit when he'd watched her enjoying the Demon's favourite position, but he suspected that was more than partly due to her own Demon influence. Of course, his Brother knew enough to keep her happy in the ways that she loved the most, and he was smart to do that. By the time they got around to doing it the Demon's way, he had made her so crazy that she was willing to do practically anything. Crowley had shrugged. He could do all that. Castiel wasn't the only one with skills in that department, and Crowley had had more experience with those kinds of activities. She'd be calling out his name in no time. Well, the name of his current persona, at any rate. She only knew him as Ian, and Ian he would remain, at least for a while.

"Tell me what's on your mind," Crowley encouraged her.

Gail sighed. "I was just wondering how Cas is, and if they were able to get the last two ingredients for the cure."

Now Crowley took his hand away from hers. He'd felt a flash of temper at what she'd said, and he didn't want to squeeze her hand too hard, as his Brother had.

Gail looked at him. "See? I told you you'd be mad," she said with a small smile. "Don't worry, I'm done with him, I swear. It's just...we worked so hard for all the other ingredients, and we were so close when I had to leave. I hope he does get cured."

Crowley was counting to ten now. He'd left her memories largely intact, so this was his fault, really. It was only natural for her to be curious.

"But I guess there's no way of finding out," Gail continued. "I'm a whole ocean away."

Crowley couldn't believe he was about to suggest this, but he wanted to keep her happy, and he didn't want the issue to fester in her mind. "I could find out for you, if you want," he said to her.

"You?" Gail was surprised. Ian was her friend, and he knew about Cas, of course, but only from what she had told him. "How could you possibly know anything about it?"

"You'd be surprised at what I know," he said evasively. "I'll see what I can dig up." He tossed his napkin on the table. "Ready to go?"

A minute later, they were in front of her hotel room door. The entire room they were now in had magical properties; it could take on the appearance of anything the King wished it to be. It was his real-life Room of Requirement, a perk exclusive to the ruler of Hell.

"Can I come in for a nightcap?" Crowley asked her, making sure his tone remained light. He'd been waiting for her to ask him, but so far all she'd done this past week was let him take her hand. He had been planning to wait for as long as it took, but her mention of Castiel's name tonight had bothered Crowley, and he was now eager to accelerate the process.

She thought for a moment. "Sure."

They sat on the couch, drinking and talking some more, and then Crowley took both of their glasses and set them down on the table. He took both of her hands in his.

"You know I care about you, Gail, and I've made it my mission in life to make you happy," Crowley told her.

Gail smiled. "You're so good to me, Ian. Thanks for everything you've done for me."

"I could do more," he said. Then he leaned forward, kissing her on the neck. "I know what you like," he said into her ear. Then he licked it.

Gail shivered. She had loved it when Cas did that. Too bad that so much pleasure had led to so much pain. That was why she had finally had to leave him. And Ian had been there for her, taking her away on a vacation so she wouldn't have to be around to look at Cas's sad eyes any more. He'd been so heartbroken when she had packed her bags. But he had brought it on himself, for treating her so roughly.

She thought about Ian, and what he was doing to her. He had his hands on her waist now, and he was kissing her cheek, nuzzling her with his whiskers. He was being so tentative, just like Cas had been that first night in Las Vegas. It had been sweet and romantic, and she had loved him for it, but once they'd really gotten going, she had loved that even more. And she had loved Cas, so much. She did miss those nights they had spent in bed together. She thought about his tongue in her mouth, and in other places on her body. She thought about him inside of her, saying her name, telling her how much he loved her. Yes, he had hurt her, and badly. But missing him hurt more. She hadn't wanted to say that to Ian, though. He was a good friend, and he was only looking out for her best interests. But this felt wrong.

She gently pushed him away. "Ian, I can't. I'm sorry."

He looked at her, frowning. "Why not?"

"Because I still love Cas," she told him.

Now he was angry. He had given her his blood, modified her memory, and spent all week with her here, making her happy. Giving her anything she'd asked for. "You still love Cas?" Crowley repeated sarcastically. "How is that possible? I made sure to - "

Her look was sharp. "You made sure to what? Who are you, Ian, really?"

Crowley couldn't help but smile then. She was an Original, all right. Only a being with Original powers could withstand everything he had done to her and yet still be resistant.

"I'm someone who only wants the best for you," he replied. He tried to take her hand again, but she pulled hers away. "I appreciate that, but I think you'd better go now," she said with a frown.

His eyes flashed red for a moment, but he stood up to leave. He would just have to redouble his efforts. He'd forgotten how much work she could be sometimes. But it would be worth it, if for no other reason than to see the look on his Brother's face when he came back with Gail and she was holding his hand, not Castiel's.

After Ian left, Gail poured herself another drink and thought about what had just happened. What had been up with his eyes there for a minute? She was sure she had seen eyes that flashed red somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where. It couldn't have been Ian she had seen; he was always so mild-mannered. He had been angry tonight, though. She felt bad about that, but if he thought she'd been leading him on, he only had himself to blame. Sure, she'd let him take her hand from time to time, but she had certainly not encouraged any other kind of physical activity. That was never going to happen with Ian, and perhaps it was her fault that he didn't realize that. She needed to make it clear to him. If her body ached at all, and it sometimes did, it ached for Cas.

What was he doing now? Did he miss her? Was he all right?

Cas was not even close to all right. He was undergoing the tortures of the damned. This must be his punishment for all of the wrongs he had done over the past few months. His stomach hurt from worry, and it felt like someone had taken a big butcher knife and stabbed him right in the heart, again and again.

He was finally cleaning up the apartment from the Demon's rampage, hoping the physical labour would free up his mind to think, to work out the solution of where she could be.

He came upon her photo, which was laying on the floor. It had been covered by debris so he hadn't seen it at first, but luckily, it hadn't been damaged. He stared at it in anguish. Yes, he had been there too, combing the streets of Las Vegas and even checking The Rio, on the off chance that she had gone somewhere that had once meant something to her. But he was now utterly convinced that Crowley had to be holding her somewhere. She and Castiel shared the blood bond too, and theirs was mutual, thanks to his shameful vampiric episodes in the bedroom. That was why the two of them had not been able to bear being separated, though Cas hoped it was also because she still loved him. He knew that that had been the main motivating factor in his case. But Crowley had none of Gail's blood in him; or at least, Castiel prayed that was still true. So she couldn't be staying away from Cas voluntarily, not for this amount of time. The longing produced by the blood bond would not have allowed it.

Cas blew the dust from the debris off the photo and put it in his shirt pocket. Maybe finding it now had been a sign. In any event, this photo was not leaving his person now, no matter what. It was far too precious.

His cell phone rang, and it was Bobby. "Nothing to report," Bobby said immediately. He'd taken to saying this up front, because whenever he called, Cas jumped down his throat. Understandable, but Bobby was frustrated too. So were Sam and Dean; their guilt for having left Gail alone that day was eating them alive, and so was Cas's, and they had all been taking it out on Bobby.

"I'm going crazy, Bobby," Cas said, sitting down heavily on the bed.

Bobby sighed. "I know, Cas. But we've done everything we can. We've looked everywhere there is."

"That can't be true," Cas protested. "They have to be somewhere."

"Well, I'm damned if I know where," Bobby said irascibly. Every time he talked to Cas, it was the same damn thing. Of course they had to be somewhere. "I'm open to any ideas, Cas. I've got everyone here trying to come up with ideas."

"What about Chuck and Kevin?" Cas said. He asked Bobby this every time they spoke.

So Bobby tried to be patient. "Nothing," he told Cas. "Frequencies still jammed."

Cas knew Bobby cared about Gail too, but he felt like throwing the phone against the wall. What good was having Prophets if they couldn't tell you anything? Castiel knew it wasn't their fault; they loved Gail too, and he was sure they were trying their hardest. But it was maddening.

"Oh, Chuck did tell me one thing, but it was nonsensical," Bobby added.

"What?" Cas asked him.

"He said he was in the library this morning, doodling on a piece of paper. Kevin told him he does that sometimes to free up his mind, or something like that. They're trying really hard, Cas."

Now it was Cas's turn to try to be patient. He closed his eyes and took a breath. "And?"

"And, Chuck said he started writing down a phrase, over and over. Kevin called it 'automatic writing', or some nonsense like that. But what he wrote down doesn't make any sense."

Cas got up from the bed, his pulse starting to beat in his temples. He felt like destroying the place all over again. "I don't care if it makes sense, Bobby! Just tell me what it is!"

"OK, Cas, don't yell in my ear," Bobby said irritably. There had been way too much of that going on lately. Sam and Dean yelled at Bobby every time he called them, too. He was going to have to either start going down there in person or invest in a speaker phone, or he'd be deaf soon. "He said he kept writing down 'truth or truth'."

Cas's brow furrowed. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, Cas, that's it. I told you, it's nonsensical."

And it was. But why did Cas have the feeling that he'd heard that somewhere before? But, where? And from who?

"He didn't SEE anything, though?" Cas persisted.

Bobby sighed again. "No, Cas. That's it. That's everything."

"OK, Bobby. Thanks," Cas said, and hung up. He was distracted now. What was it about that phrase? It was like a tickle in his brain.

Then he remembered, and the association was so shocking that he sank back down on the bed. That was what Lucifer had said to Gail when they had had the meeting of the Originals. Lucifer had proposed a game he had called "Truth or Truth", designed to elicit their confessions.

Lucifer's cage! That was the one place he had not looked while he was in Hell. Only Crowley could open the door to that wing, so Castiel had not gone there. But Crowley was also currently missing, and they had looked everywhere else. It couldn't be, though. Even if Crowley had spirited Gail there to hide her away from Castiel, he would not have taken her there. Once inside the cage, there was no way to get out, unless God Himself opened the cage.

But it occurred to Castiel now that he had no idea what else might be in that restricted area of Hell. Crowley had referred to it as a "wing"; might it not hold other rooms, as well?

Cas nearly smacked himself. How had he not thought of that before? But, how was he going to get in there to find out?

He might as well go there and check it out. Maybe he could figure out a way to get in.

Castiel appeared in front of the security door which opened to the wing that held Lucifer's cage. He hadn't really looked at it that closely before; when he and Gail had been here with Crowley, they'd had the drama of Gail not being able to pass, and the additional injection of Crowley's blood she had agreed to undergo to do it. If he thought he had been upset about that at the time, he was devastated now. He should never have just sat there and let her take that injection. If she had not had it, she would likely not have succumbed to the blood bond brought on by Crowley's aborted attempt to inject her with yet a third dose when Castiel was in Purgatory. If Gail was irrevocably damaged now, it would be all Castiel's fault. But then again, wasn't everything to do with the damned cure his fault? Yes, he had been infected with Crowley's Demon essence and then turned into a monster by Metatron's special recipe. But he had given over control of himself to that monster, he had hurt his friends immeasurably, and he had damaged Gail to such an extent that Crowley seemed like a more attractive option. If he couldn't rescue Gail now, Castiel was going to call Bobby back and ask his friend to kill him.

He studied the panel by the security door. Crowley had put his palm on it, and the door had just opened for him. There had to be some kind of a scanner that had read Crowley's palm print, thereby allowing access. Castiel checked the door, and there didn't seem to be any other way to get in. It was heavily armoured, with no handle and no lock. The panel was the only way.

Just for the hell of it, Cas put his palm on the panel, and after a moment, the security door swung open partway, then stopped. He was shocked. The door had opened for him? Granted, it wasn't all the way open, but...He'd better hurry, before the door swung shut again. Cas eased himself through the opening. It was a tight squeeze, but he made it.

Castiel made his way quietly down the dark corridor. He saw the cage up ahead, and felt a stab of apprehension. But as Cas approached, he could only see Metatron and Lucifer, sitting cross-legged across from each other in the cage, as they had been sitting when he had been here before. Did they sit there like that all the time? Thankfully, they were still the sole occupants of the cage. He let out the breath he'd been holding.

He tried to pass by the cage unnoticed, but Lucifer saw him and jumped to his feet, grinning widely. "Looking for your sweetie?" he asked Castiel gleefully. And of course, Metatron rose too, and the two of them came to the front of the cage, staring at him.

Castiel tried to ignore them, but Lucifer wasn't going to let him get away with that. "You should have treated her better, Castiel," he taunted. "She belongs to your Brother now."

A chill raced through Castiel, but he had better not show them weakness. He wanted to find out if they had any information. "What makes you say that?" he asked, as coolly as he could.

"He carried her down this very same hall a while back," Metatron piped up happily. "And we haven't seen them since. I can only imagine what he's been doing to her all this time."

Cas felt like he was going to throw up. He could only imagine too, and none of the pictures that were forming in his head were good. The only thing that heartened him a bit was that Metatron had said that Crowley had "carried" her. That didn't sound to him like she had gone willingly. And at least he now knew that she had been here.

He glared at Metatron and Lucifer and then continued to make his way down the hall, until he came to another door. He pushed on it, not really expecting anything to happen, but the door opened easily.

Cas saw her right away. She was sitting on the floor, staring off into space. Curiously, the room was spacious, but entirely empty. No furniture of any kind. He looked around the room warily, but Crowley was nowhere to be seen. She was alone.

He rushed to her, falling on his knees in front of her. "Gail!" Cas cried out, and he reached for her, but she did not respond. She didn't even look at him. She just kept staring off into the distance, as if looking at something that he couldn't see.

"Gail?" Cas said again. He took her hand, but she didn't react to that, either. It seemed as if she was in some kind of a trance. What was she looking at?

Gail was sitting at the table in the pub, waiting for Ian to return with their drinks. He was going to be mad at her again. When he returned with the drinks, she was going to tell him that she wanted to go home.

Gail had thought that she would enjoy a getaway, and she had, for a while. But she was homesick, and she wanted to find out what was going on with Cas. Maybe even see him, if Sam and Dean would let him come to the bunker for a supervised visit. She hoped Ian would still want to be her friend, but she needed to be home, not here. After the other night, she had made it clear to Ian that they could not have a physical relationship in the way that he wanted. He had seemed to accept that, but Gail had the feeling that he still held out hope. And the longer they were away, the more Gail was afraid that she might end up giving in. She'd been having urges, and she'd considered letting Ian touch her and imagining that he was Cas. But that wouldn't be fair to Ian.

"Gail!" She heard the voice call out to her, and she looked around. Gail didn't see anyone she recognized, just Ian, still lined up at the bar.

"Gail?" Again, the voice calling her name, but again, there was no one she knew around. Funny, it had sounded like Cas's voice. Probably because she'd been thinking of him. She just couldn't seem to quit thinking about him, even after he'd been so horrible to her.

Then Gail felt his embrace, and the brief sting of stubble on her cheek. OK, this was weird. As she looked around again, the people in the pub began to vanish and the furniture started to fade. What the hell was going on?

Cas was frantic now. She was obviously under some kind of a spell. All he could think of to do was put his arms around her. He nuzzled her cheek, scratching her skin with the stubble on his face. He hadn't bothered to shave since he'd seen her last. He should have; now he'd left a red mark on her cheek. He touched her face where the mark was.

Suddenly, Cas was sitting in the chair beside her, and his hand was touching her face.

Gail screamed, jumping out of her chair. "Ian! Ian! Help! It's Cas!"

Castiel looked at her, alarmed. He jumped to his feet, too. Why was she screaming for help? And who was Ian?

He reached for her, but she cringed. "Gail, what's the matter?" Castiel said. "I'm here to take you home."

"No!" she shouted at him. "I can't go home with you! You'll hurt me again!"

Cas was suspicious now. While it was true that he had hurt her, they had also been able to be together quite happily before she'd disappeared, and he hadn't hurt her for a while. But she seemed terrified of him. This had to be Crowley's doing.

Gail looked to the side. "Ian! Thank God! Cas is trying to take me home with him!"

Crowley appeared out of thin air, and he put his hand on Gail's arm. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I won't let him hurt you," he told her.

Cas was enraged. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his blade. He'd had to return all of the weapons that Sam and Dean had loaned him to take to Purgatory, including the Demon knife, unfortunately. But he'd kept his Angel blade, of course. He needed that with him.

Crowley gave him a scornful look. "Are you looking to kill me with that, Castiel?" he said, smirking.

The instant Gail saw the blade, she moved behind Crowley, shaking in fear. When he had modified her memories of Castiel, Crowley had left only the bad ones, and seeing Cas with the blade in his hand had terrified her. Cas saw this, and he put the blade away immediately. Crowley was right; Cas couldn't kill him with it, anyway. And Cas needed to be able to get close to Gail, so he could find out what Crowley had done to her mind.

"I'm sorry, Gail," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I've put the blade away. I'm only here to talk." Cas put his hands up in supplication.

"Well, she doesn't want to talk to you," Crowley snapped. He couldn't believe that Castiel was here. How had he found them? And how on earth had he ever gotten in that door?

But Gail was slowly moving out from behind Crowley now. Now that he didn't have the blade in his hand, she felt safe enough to talk to him. "It's OK, Ian," she said to Crowley.

Castiel's brow furrowed. "Ian?"

"He's my friend, Cas," Gail said quietly.

Cas couldn't believe what he was hearing. She thought that Crowley was some guy named Ian, and that he was her friend? He had to touch her forehead somehow. But Crowley was staring daggers at him, and Gail was looking very skittish.

She was studying Cas's face. "How is the cure coming?" she asked him. "Were you and Sam and Dean able to get the remaining ingredients?"

So she did remember that, then. Cas decided to roll the dice. "I'm cured, Gail," he told her.

She gasped. "You are?"

But Crowley snarled, "He's lying."

Gail looked at Crowley. His eyes were flashing, and they were red. For a moment, she saw Crowley as he really was, and she suddenly remembered where she'd seen those eyes before. This man wasn't Ian at all; he was Crowley, the King of Hell. She'd only thought he was her friend. He had dosed her, and he had kidnapped her, and she'd been living in a fantasy.

"What did you do to me, Crowley?" she said in a small voice.

Crowley stood stock-still, shocked by her question. He had modified many a memory in the past, but he had never seen anyone break that spell of their own accord. Never.

As Crowley stood there, paralyzed with astonishment, Castiel knew he had to do something, and fast, before Crowley regained his equilibrium. Cas figured that his powers might not work here, though, and he only had a split second to decide what to do. So he did what he had seen Sam and Dean do many, many times, the go-to move he had learned from them; he wound up and punched Crowley full in the face, knocking him out cold.

Then he rushed towards Gail and before she had a chance to react, he put his hand on her forehead. After a moment, it was all too clear to Castiel what Crowley had done. The King of Hell had modified her memories of Castiel, leaving her with only the bad ones as any frame of reference. Every time he had ever hurt her, every mark he had ever put on her body when the Demon had held full sway. No love, no laughter, only pain. No wonder she had reacted the way she had when she'd seen him. To her, all he was was a monster.

Yet she had still asked how he was, and if he had been cured. He regretted lying to her like that, but Cas had hoped to provoke the reaction from Crowley that would have his Brother show her his true colours in order to shock her out of the spell. And it had worked like a charm. But he couldn't leave her feeling like this about him. Although Cas had done those things, and he would have to atone for them for the rest of his existence, there had been a lot of love there too, and that was the most important memory, in his opinion.

So he restored all of her memories, but he also left the bad ones. As tempting as it was to erase those, Castiel knew that wouldn't be right. She needed to remain wary of him as long as he still had the Demon inside. He needed her to be vigilant, in case he lost possession of himself.

Then it was done, and when Gail opened her eyes, she was looking at Castiel with a mixture of emotions on her face, but none of them was fear.

"What's going on, Cas? Where are we?" she asked him. Gail was thoroughly disoriented now. What was real? What was not?

"I'll explain everything in a bit," Cas said, gently taking her hand, "but right now, we've got to go." He glanced at Crowley, still unconscious on the ground. Who knew the King of Hell could be incapacitated like that? He'd have to file that for future reference, and tell the Winchesters and Bobby that, too. He allowed himself a brief grin.

After her own glance down at Crowley, Gail allowed Cas to lead her out of the room, but she said, "Is he all right?"

Castiel sighed. That damnable blood bond. "Yes, he'll be fine."

As they approached the cage, Castiel put a finger to his lips, but Gail recognized where they were now and she had no desire to engage with those two, so she remained silent.

But Metatron and Lucifer saw them, of course. "Reunited, and it feels so good," Lucifer crooned in a surprisingly musical lilt. Metatron laughed. That had been a good one.

Cas glared at them, but Gail tugged at his hand. "Just ignore them, Cas," she said softly.

She was right. There was no reason to rise to the bait, and he needed to get her out of here.

Thankfully, the door was still ajar, and Gail sidled through it easily. Then she grabbed Cas's hand and helped him to squeeze through.

"If you'll pardon my saying so, let's get the hell out of here," Castiel said to her.

"Really, Cas?" Gail said, imitating Dean.

They were still laughing when they got back to the apartment.

But Gail stopped laughing when she saw the state of the place. "What happened here?" she said in astonishment. Had he been attacked, and had there been some kind of apocalyptic fight?

Cas frowned. "That was the Demon."

She eyed him coolly. "I thought you said you were cured."

He looked shamefaced. "I'm very sorry, Gail. I only told you that to break you out of the spell."

Gail sighed, rolling her eyes. Well, it had worked. But she'd been so hoping that it was true. "How long was I gone?" she asked him, walking around the apartment, feeling dismayed at the mess.

"Nearly two weeks," Cas replied. "I was out of my mind."

They had reached the bedroom now, and Gail was shaking her head in amazement. Their TV was smashed to bits on the floor. "Obviously," she said dryly. Then she looked around, panicked. "Where's my picture?"

Cas smiled then, removing the picture from his shirt pocket and showing it to her. "He didn't destroy the most important item."

She let out a breath, relieved. "OK, then. Let's see about this mess. Looky what I can do." She concentrated, then waved her arms, and the furniture began to reassemble itself. Once that was done, she restored the TV and it moved itself back on top of the dresser. Then she removed all of the dust and debris from the floor.

Castiel was amazed. Since when could she do that?

She smiled at his expression. "I found out I could do that a little while ago. But I don't know if I should be pleased about it, or annoyed."

"Why would you be annoyed?" Cas asked her, puzzled.

"Think about it," she replied. "The only female Original gets to do all the cleaning up?"

Cas smiled slowly. Yes, he could understand that, from her point of view. But he still thought it was a handy power to have.

She walked through the rest of the rooms, restoring them too, then she said, "There." She gave Cas a sidelong glance. "Tell your friemd the Demon to cool it next time. It's not my job to be his maid." She was still a little angry at being lied to, though she supposed she understood why he'd done it.

Cas frowned. "He's no friend of mine, I assure you. I can't wait for him to be gone. Sam and Dean were going back to see Oliver today. In fact, they're probably there right now. They promised they would take up the mantle and continue while you were..." His throat caught. "...gone."

Gail approached him. "What happened to me, Cas?"

He took her hand and sat her down on the couch, telling her what he had managed to piece together. She told him what she remembered of the experience, and his blood began to boil. How dare Crowley just take her away like that, mess with with her mind, and drive her friends crazy with worry? And even though Gail hadn't really spelled it out, Crowley had obviously tried to seduce her, as well. Thank God Castiel had gotten there in time.

But the Demon was pushing to get out now. She'd been gone for that long, alone with Crowley all that time. Was he supposed to believe that nothing had happened between them?

"Did he take you to bed?" Cas asked her angrily.

She looked at him sharply. "What? No!"

His grip on her hand tightened, and his eyes started to darken. "You have his blood," he said in an accusing tone.

Crap. The Demon was starting to take over now. Gail could see it, and hear it in his voice. But she DID have Crowley's blood in her, so she retorted, "So what? A year ago, I had Sam and Dean's blood in me, and I didn't go to bed with either of them, even though I had my chances!" Her eyes darkened now too. She should find out if Rowena had a cure for jealousy, while she was at it. This was getting ridiculous.

Cas studied her face. He supposed that was true. But she had been gone from him for nearly two weeks, and her urges were just as strong as his were. "So you just expect me to believe that nothing happened?" he asked her.

"I do expect you to believe it, because it's the truth," she shot back. "I did miss you, though," she added, and her voice softened.

He brightened. "You did?" The Demon grabbed her. "How much?"

She looked at him speculatively. The Demon was there, she could tell, but the others were in there, too. Should she take the chance? But she HAD missed him, and she'd missed what they did together in private.

"This much," she said, leaning forward. She kissed him, giving him her tongue. He opened his mouth eagerly, and his tongue found hers. Then they were taking each other's clothes off, and then they walked to the bedroom.

She laid down on the bed and he was on top of her instantly, pushing eagerly into her. It hurt a bit, but she had missed this, so Gail didn't really mind. She wrapped her legs around him, urging him deeper, and he cried out immediately. After a moment, he moved his body down hers, and opened her legs, using his tongue on her with enthusiasm. She watched him for a minute, then it got too good and she closed her eyes, riding the wave. Her head moved from side to side, and she started to make her sounds. He pulled her closer and she cried out, holding his head.

Then the Demon grabbed her and flipped her over, licking her body. He raised her hips and used his tongue, then he entered her, pushing hard. He leaned down and bit her shoulder. A few drops of blood beaded there, and he licked them lovingly.

Ow! That had hurt. Well, she had asked for it, hadn't she? She'd better get him to finish, before he really went to town, Gail thought. So she raised herself up to meet him, telling him to go harder, even though she knew she was going to pay the price.

He still had her by the hips and he pulled her towards him, raising his body up so that he could watch her and what he was doing to her. No wonder the others loved her so much. Just look at her. She was loving this, urging him on. He thrust forward and then he swore, and then it was over. He withdrew from her and licked her again, then he bit the small of her back, licking the blood that rose from the bite.

"Cas, that's enough," she said sharply, hissing in pain. She had gambled and won, but now she was losing, and she needed to get him off her before this really got out of hand. She struggled to rise, but he was still straddling her. "Let me up, Cas," Gail said, raising her voice.

The Demon was licking his lips, savouring the taste of her blood. She wasn't going anywhere. Cas was panicked now, trying to regain control, but the Demon was enjoying himself too much. It had been too long since he'd been in the driver's seat, and he had been held back for long enough.

"Okay," he said agreeably. He moved just enough to let her get off her stomach, but then he grabbed her head and brought it to himself. He was so exclited to have the playground to himself at the moment that he was ready again, and she was so good at this.

She went with it. At least, in that position, he wasn't biting her any more. Why was she doing this? She hadn't fed the Demon for a while, and she could see how hungry he was because of it. She should just disappear out from underneath him. See how he liked that. But he could follow her pretty much anywhere, and he would be extremely angry when he caught up with her. It was probably better to appease him for now. But she had been stupid. She'd been gone for a while, and she had missed Cas so much that she had forgotten what else he still had in him.

The Demon was pushing himself into her mouth. She was making him moan with pleasure now. He was going hard, and she was gamely taking everything he had. He swore again, and with one final thrust, he felt the hot rush.

"You're so good," he said, lowering his body on top of hers. He pushed his tongue into her mouth. "But it's good to be bad, too," he murmured, smiling. He nipped her on the neck, not too hard, just enough to get a couple more drops of her blood. He sucked her neck contentedly, then lay on top of her, spent.

After a moment, he rolled off her, but he still had a hold of her, and he pulled her towards him. He put his hand between her legs and stroked her with one finger. She was in considerable pain now but incredibly, her body was responding. Well, she still had Demon blood inside of her too, and it had been a long time for her, also. So she opened her legs to allow him better access, going with the feeling. His mouth came down on hers and his fingers sped up. She could taste the blood on his tongue, but she was trying not to think about that. She closed her eyes and moved with his hand, whimpering.

The Demon was smiling. She had made him very happy, and he was smart enough to keep her happy. When he got the blade out next, she would submit, he was sure. If not voluntarily, then otherwise. He felt all-powerful now.

She buried her face in his neck, crying out as he pleasured her.

"Bite my neck," he said to her. He wanted her to share the experience. She might like it, as he did. And then their blood bond would be even stronger, and she would let him do everything to her that he needed to do. And there was so much more that he wanted to do to her. After he was fully satisfied, he could let one of the others out to heal her, if they wanted. There would be nothing they could do about his marks, but that would be too bad. He liked seeing them on her, and she loved receiving them. Just look at her now. She was smiling, writhing against his hand.

Gail actually did consider biting him for a moment. He might not want her to, once he found out how much it hurt. But she didn't want to get any more of his blood in her. Look at what she was going along with now; Lord only knew what she would end up agreeing to with even more of his diseased blood in her. But he was making her crazy right now; she would deal with all her injuries later. It's not as if she didn't have loads of practice.

She cried out, and his fingers slowed down, then sped up again, and she cried out again. The Demon was grinning now. Oh yes, she was his now, all right. Too bad she hadn't bitten him, but he was sure he would be able to get her to do it in time. Just one more session between her legs and she would agree to anything.

He moved quickly down her body and lapped at her with his tongue, and Gail began to writhe again, grabbing his head with both hands and pulling his hair, holding him there. He sped up his motion, and she cried out loudly. God, he was unbelievable. He stayed there, savouring the taste of her, as Gail gave herself up to his mouth and what he was doing with it. "I love you, Cas," she said. Even though she knew this was probably the Demon now, she needed to tell Cas that, anyway. This was still his body, after all, and his mouth.

Thankfully, hearing that enabled Cas to finally push forward and take over, and he continued making love to her for a moment. But he was worried about how badly the Demon had hurt her, and when he rose himself up to kiss her, he could see the bite marks on her, and the abrasions. And he was sure the back of her would be even worse.

Tears sprang to his eyes, and he rolled over to lay beside her. He was afraid to touch her now, in case he would hurt her any further. "I'm sorry, Gail," he said. "I couldn't stop him."

She was catching her breath, and she rolled onto her side, looking at his face. This was Cas now, she knew. The Demon was a liar, but he wasn't that good of an actor.

"I know, Cas," she said softly. "And I shouldn't have let him manhandle me like that. But I missed you so much that I dropped my guard, and by then it was too late."

He looked at her. "How can you even stand me at this point?" he said, anguished.

"Because you and the Demon are totally different," she replied. "Because you're you. And because when you're cured, it'll be just you again."

Like hell, the Demon thought resentfully. I'm not going anywhere. Well, except to the living room, to get my blade in a minute. Let him keep her here with his tears. I'll hold her here with what I know she really wants.

But Cas was frowning. "You have to get out of here now, Gail. He's thinking about the blade."

Oh, God. Yeah, she'd better, then. But where could she go?

"Go to Oliver's," Castiel said. Then he grimaced. The Demon was pushing hard now, angry at Cas's betrayal. "They'll protect you from him. From me," he amended sadly.

Gail shook her head. "I don't want Sam and Dean in danger."

Castiel grimaced again. He was starting to lose the fight. "Bobby is there. Go!"

Gail's eyes widened. Bobby was at Oliver's? He would be able to protect her, though; Cas was right about that. The Demon was still too afraid to tangle with God.

She kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Cas," she said, scrambling off the bed. She ran to the living room and hurried into her clothes. Then she winked out of the apartment.

Cas continued to lay there, but he was smiling. Let the Demon come now, if he wanted. She was safe.

Dean and Sam had driven Bobby to Oliver's. He could have just popped them over there, but they'd figured they'd better not take the chance, in case the medium saw. Oliver was extremely leery of all of them now, and they only had two ingredients left to get. He could just up and refuse to admit them, and then where would they be? Sam had sensed that the scare that Crowley had put into Oliver was starting to wear off, and if he refused to help them any more, they were screwed. They'd better not risk him seeing them arrive in any other than an ordinary, human way.

Sam knocked on the door and Oliver let them in, scowling. He looked at Bobby, startled. "Who's this, now?" He peered closely at Bobby's face.

"A friend," Bobby said shortly. He stared back at Oliver, who was standing way too close. He disliked this guy already.

"A very good friend," Sam amended, trying not to smile. He could see the expression on Bobby's face, and he figured he'd better not.

"Well, you're not a Demon, at least," Oliver said to Bobby. He shuddered inwardly. He'd seen enough of those to last him a lifetime.

"Hardly," Sam said, giving in to the grin that was now spreading across his face.

Bobby backed up a step to create a bit more personal space. But he couldn't resist now. "I'm God," he told Oliver.

Oliver scoffed. Now they were bringing nut jobs with them. "God is dead," he said bluntly.

"That's what you get for putting off that doctor's appointment," Dean quipped. Sam looked at his brother, impressed. That had been a good one.

But Bobby wasn't smiling. "They told me you were an atheist," he said to Oliver. "But you believe in Hell, and Demons. Well, you can't have one side without the other."

"God has to be dead," Oliver protested stubbornly. "Look at all the evil in the world."

"Well, you're just a glass-half-empty kind of guy, now, aren't you?" Bobby said sarcastically. "We're here to get rid of some of that evil. Let's go."

Oliver did a double-take, then sighed. He led the way, made the usual preparations, then joined hands with the men. When Bobby took his hand, Oliver jumped. The feeling he got from their connection was totally opposite to the feeling he'd gotten when he had been forced to take Crowley's hand. This man was extraordinarily good, and while Oliver still didn't believe in God, he'd sit in a circle with this man any time.

Oliver began calling Rowena forth, and he didn't even get to finish the sentence before she appeared.

"Bobby!" she said delightedly. Bobby's eyes widened. It was really her! Not that he hadn't believed the boys, of course, but it was still freaky to see her like this. She looked solid, yet ethereal at the same time.

But she sure felt solid when she caressed his face with both of her hands, tickling his beard. He removed his hands from Oliver's and Dean's, batting her hands away. She used to do that all the time, and it used to drive him nuts.

"The connection is broken now," Oliver chided Bobby, but to his astonishment, Rowena was still there. Nothing was going to stop her from spending time with her Bobby. Oliver could just take his so-called rules and shove them. She was in charge here, not him.

"Sorry, sweetie, I know how you hate it when I do that," Rowena said to Bobby, smiling. But he secretly loved it, and she knew it. He'd loved it when she'd been on top of him in bed doing that, among other things. But she removed her hands from his face just the same.

"How are you, my dear?" Rowena cooed.

Bobby frowned. "I've been better. Your little spell book has caused quite a bit of trouble."

She affected a pout. "That's unfortunate. I left it to you as a gift."

"Some gift!" Dean snorted in derision.

Rowena glared at him. He was pretty, but she wasn't going to let him get away with that. She'd put her heart and soul into that book, and her giving it to Bobby had been an act of love. She knew he would appreciate it one day. It wasn't her fault that it had fallen into the wrong hands.

She rushed over to where Dean sat and raked her nails down Dean's face.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelled, grabbing his cheek. His fingers came away bloody. He hadn't seen her coming. Apparently, only Bobby could see Rowena, just like only Gail had. Maybe she was invisible to humans because of that Netherworld business.

"Have some respect," Rowena hissed at Dean. "Don't speak about something you know nothing about."

"Stop it, Rowena," Bobby said sternly. She smiled at him. She would try to behave, for his sake. She supposed she should be grateful to the Winchester boys for bringing him. The memories came flooding back. If only he wasn't God, and she had a body. But at least one of those things would be changing, very soon.

Suddenly, there was the insistent sound of a doorbell, ringing over and over. Oliver frowned. Someone was at the front door and they were clearly ignoring the Do Not Disturb sign he'd put on it. He decided to ignore it.

But the ringing persisted, and Rowena rolled her eyes. "I can't hear myself think," she complained. "Oliver, would you do something about that, before I have to leave?" She had no intention of going anywhere, of course, but the incessant ringing was very annoying, and she wanted it to stop.

Oliver got to his feet and rushed out of the room. He yanked open the front door.

"Oh, it's you," he said with distaste.

"I'm sorry," Gail said. "But I knocked and knocked, and there was no answer. Can I come in? Please?"

He was about to refuse her, but then he paused. So, "God" was here, was he? Let's see how she reacts when she's confronted by him, then. Even though the guy wasn't really God, maybe she would think he was, and he could throw a scare into her. Tit for tat. Oliver hadn't forgiven her for bringing the King of Hell to his house. He'd had to leave all the lights on when he went to bed for a week after that, and he'd had to have all the parlour furniture disinfected.

So he opened the door wider, and she rushed in. Now that he could see her up close, Oliver saw the bloody bite mark on her neck, and the other visible marks on her body. His eyes widened. Had a vampire been at her, now? Had Oliver just made a fatal mistake?

Gail saw where he was looking, and she enjoyed the googly-eyed look on his face. There was just something about this guy that really rubbed her the wrong way. She was going to have to face her friends in a moment, and after the hugs and happy greetings she was really hoping she would still receive, they were going to see what Oliver was currently looking at, and they were going to flip out. So she might as well have a little fun.

"That's right, my boyfriend's a vampire, as well as a Demon," she told Oliver, patting him on the cheek. "So you'll want to keep cooperating, or I might bring him next time. And your little Do Not Disturb sign won't keep him out." She smiled slyly, enjoying the expression on Oliver's face.

Then she strode ahead of him to the seance room, but when she reached the black curtain, Gail took a deep breath. Oliver, she could handle; these guys were a different matter.

Thankfully, the room was dark, so even though the men recognized her of course, they couldn't make out the marks on her. Sam jumped up from his chair and approached her for a hug. She went happily into his arms.

"Thank God you're OK, Gail," Sam said fervently. He held her tightly, and he inadvertently squeezed the bite mark on her lower back. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"The hell with the supposed connection. Let me in on that," Dean said, elbowing his brother aside. He hugged Gail then, just as hard as Sam had, and tears sprang to her eyes, for a couple of reasons. Hopefully, Bobby wouldn't want to hug her too, or she would have to go to the emergency room.

But Bobby merely sat there. Oliver started to smile. Now she would get her comeuppance.

"Good to see you, dear," Bobby said, smiling. He had been about to get up and give her a hug too, but he'd heard her mind screaming in pain and had thought he'd better not. Crowley must have hurt her in some way. Once they were done here with Rowena, he would have to find out what had happened to Gail.

To Oliver's horror, Gail leaned down and kissed Bobby on the forehead. "Thanks for doing this in my absence," she said to him.

Bobby grabbed her hand. "Cas begged us to continue, and he was so crazy while you were gone that we couldn't bear to refuse."

Gail gave his hand a brief squeeze, then she released it. Yeah, Cas was crazy, all right. They'd all have to have a good long talk after they were done here.

Bobby read the thought, and he peered more closely at Gail now. The only light in the room was the pink glow that Rowena always brought, but Bobby could swear upon closer examination that that was a bite mark on Gail's neck. He frowned. Oh yeah, they'd be talking, all right.

Rowena was getting impatient. She was still there, and she had been waiting as patiently as she could through their little reunion. She knew that her son had taken Gail, and she also knew that Castiel had retrieved her, only to subject Gail to the ordeal of pain himself, after the pleasure. She smiled. "Back from my son's clutches, are you, dearie?" Rowena said sweetly. "Pity your rescuer was worse."

Gail drew up a chair and squeezed herself between Sam and Bobby. The men were all looking at her now, wondering what Rowena was talking about. Gail sighed. She had known the reaction to her sudden appearance here was going to be mixed, but she just wanted to get on with it now. They could talk in private later, away from Oliver and Rowena. If she had to be humiliated, she wanted to keep it within the family.

"Can we please just proceed?" she appealed to Rowena.

Rowena smiled. She did like to have her fun, but she was eager to get on with it, too. The closer they got to the end, the closer she was to getting what she wanted. And there was only one more ingredient to divulge before the final, climactic one. The one that would give Rowena back her life.

So she said, "It's appropriate you're here, my love." Bobby frowned, but said nothing, so Rowena continued, "Because the next ingredient is the Grace of a righteous Angel, representing Patience over Anger."

Bobby looked at Gail. "That's it. We're done here." He got up from the table and walked out of the room.

Gail was stunned. What did he mean, they were done? Where was he going? She jumped up from the table and ran after him.

She caught him by the arm, turning him around. "What do you mean, we're done?" she asked him shakily.

"What do you think I mean?" Bobby said angrily. "You heard what she just said, and you know what that means. Taking an Angel's Grace is tantamount to killing them. I can't authorize that."

"Look at me, Bobby," Gail said. She turned to show him the bite mark on her neck, then turned around and lifted her top to show him the one on her back. "And that's not all," she told Bobby. "I guess you were too busy here to see us in the apartment, but Rowena's right. I went from the frying pan into the fire. Cas rescued me from Crowley, and then Cas's evil twin did this to me. Do you really want this to continue?"

Bobby was frowning. "No. Of course not. But I'm God. I have a responsibility to all of the Angels, not just you two."

"I know that, Bobby," she said, agitated. "But there's got to be something we can do. Some way we can all win. We're so close now."

"I don't see how, Gail." She reached for his arm again, but Bobby shook her off. "Tell the boys I'll be waiting outside." He exited the front door, slamming it behind him.

Gail was panicking now. She had to do something. There was no way she could quit now, not after everything she'd accomplished, and everything she'd endured. Not when they were this close. Wasn't there one Angel they could afford to lose? But what the hell was she doing, thinking like that? How much of a Demon was she now? Yeah, let's just go to Heaven and hold a lottery to decide who gets to give up their life for hers and Cas's. How about her good friend Chuck? Sure, he hadn't done anything for her in the past five minutes. How about Kevin, or Becky, or Linda, or Ethan? Patricia? Laurel? Who else did she know that they could sacrifice? How ironic would it be to get cured, but have to have Bobby send you to Hell anyway, because you'd designated one of your friends for assassination? And while taking the Grace from an Angel didn't necessarily kill them right away, they would be rendered completely mortal, and then they would weaken and die. When she had first met Castiel, his stolen Grace had been dwindling, and he would have died had she not fully restored his Grace. But she didn't have the ability to do anything like that any more. She had used up the last of those powers bringing Castiel back to life when Frank had stabbed him to death in Crowley's den. Everything had always been about Castiel, and it was now, too. But she could actually understand Bobby's viewpoint. How much was too much?

But there had to be a way to get it. She rushed back into the seance room.

"Where's my dear Bobby?" Rowena asked Gail.

Gail glared at her. "He said he'll be waiting outside. What the hell are you trying to pull, Rowena? Are you deliberately trying to piss him off?"

Rowena shrugged. "That is what is required for the antidote. You've been very resourceful up to this point, my girl. You'll have to find a way to make it happen." But she was getting a little concerned now. Rowena had known that this was going to be the most difficult ingredient, but then, she had not expected Bobby to be here, either. If he could not be swayed, the cure might have to be abandoned, and then where would Rowena be? Perhaps she shouldn't have saved the vital ingredient for the last, after all. If Bobby wouldn't allow them to obtain the Grace, or if Gail refused to just take it upon herself to get it, Rowena was screwed. She didn't give a fig whether Castiel and Gail were cured or not, but she needed them to obtain the last ingredient.

"Have him come back in here. I'll talk to him," Rowena said, trying to keep her voice calm. Maybe she could still use some of her wiles on Bobby. He'd never been able to resist them in life.

"Why should he want to talk to you?" Sam said resentfully. "You've been nothing but trouble for him."

Rowena glared at him. "You know nothing of our relationship. You, who mopes around, pining for a woman you can't have. What do you know about real love?"

"I know that real love doesn't involve spells, or manipulation," Sam retorted. Then he looked at Gail. "Or pain."

Gail looked down at the table. Sam was right, of course. But that was why she was here, wasn't it? To try to take the pain out of the equasion. She was here because the love she and Cas had for each other was real; it was the pain and the brutality that was not.

"So you're trying to tell us you actually love Bobby?" Dean asked Rowena, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, he doesn't love you. You just put some kind of hoodoo hex on him."

Rowena turned on Dean angrily. "So that's what you think, is it? You, who's slept with so many women, but never been in love? Well, you're the expert then, aren't you? And you don't even do that any more. Too afraid you might actually feel something for one of them? Or too busy being a hero for a woman you can't even admit that you might want for yourself?" She smiled slyly. "Or, is it her lover that you want? I've always wondered about that 'profound bond' thing, myself."

Dean rolled his eyes. This bitch had no clue. He wouldn't mind having a relationship with a quality woman at all; he'd just been so busy trying to avoid them all getting killed that he hadn't had the chance to even try to meet anyone. And as far as that b.s. about wanting Gail himself, Rowena was barking up the wrong tree there. He loved Gail, and he loved Cas; at least, the Original Recipe Cas. Of course he did. But not in the way Rowena was suggesting. She was just being an evil witch; it was in the job description. What else would you expect from the mother of the King of Hell? But what had happened between Gail and Crowley while she was gone? And what had Rowena meant by that crack about Gail's rescuer being no better? What had Cas done now? Whose ass did Dean have to kick here?

"OK, we're done," Gail said, standing up from the table. This was accomplishing nothing. They had their ingredient; now they were just sitting around, being victims for Rowena's vitriol. But Gail reminded herself to save that little tidbit about Dean wanting Cas for himself to tell Cas about, if she could ever be safely alone with him again. She would have to tease Cas about it in the future, maybe make some comment about making Barry or Tommy jealous. How she wished that things were that lighthearted right now. But right at this moment, she had to have a little chat with God.

Rowena was dismayed. The men rose, preparing to follow Gail out of the room. They were really leaving. Rowena would have to watch them very carefully now. The signal had grown stronger each and every time they'd brought her here from the Netherworld, and what she could not see, she could find out by cozying up to one of the Archangels or the writer of one of the sets of Gospels. It was vital that they get the stupid Grace now. Too bad she could do nothing to help them.

"You have to find a way, Gail," Rowena called after her. "You're too close to give up now."

But they were leaving the room, and she couldn't hold the connection any longer. The pink light went out, and Rowena disappeared.

"There's got to be a way," Gail was pleading with Bobby. They were sitting around the table in the bunker. Bobby wanted to leave, but she had begged him to stay. She had to find a way to get him to at least consider the idea. But even if he did, where would they go from there?

But there would be no help from Sam or Dean on that score. They were sitting at the table too, but Sam was having a beer and Dean was pouring his second shot of whiskey, and they were both angry. She had told them her story when they'd first gotten here, and the brothers didn't know who to be madder at now. Crowley, for kidnapping her and messing with her mind, holding her prisoner in Hell in some kind of a weird virtual reality room? Cas, for rescuing to her with lies of a cure, only to get her alone himself and let the Demon take over, brutalizing her in the process? Or Gail herself, for letting herself get in that position in the first place, when she ought to know better by now?

So the brothers weren't speaking to her, and Bobby was growing restless and impatient. It didn't matter how much she pleaded with him, he wasn't going to go back up to Heaven and sacrifice somebody for their damn cure.

Gail could see that Bobby had dug in his heels, and she was feeling desperate now. She sent out a loud call to Cas in her head. If she and Crowley could do it, she should be able to do it with Castiel, too. Please come to the bunker, she called. I need you. She knew that he now had a standing invitation to visit the bunker courtesy of Dean, so he would be able to come of his own accord.

And he did, of course. He appeared a moment later, rushing to her side. "What's going on, Gail? What's the matter?" he asked her. He sat in his usual chair beside her and took her hand.

Castiel looked around the table and saw the Winchesters glaring daggers at him, and Bobby, looking grim. So she had told them, then. Of course. The evidence was right there, on her neck and face, and arms. And he didn't blame her for telling them; they all had to remain vigilant against the Demon. But he was deeply ashamed.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I lost control of him."

"You think?" Sam said sarcastically. "You know what? We're sick of hearing that from you!"

"It's my own fault, really - " Gail started to say, but Dean suddenly stood and hurled his glass across the room. It shattered on one of the bookcases.

"It's not your fault!" he yelled at her. "It's never your fault! If I hear you say that one more time, I'm gonna-"

Bobby interrupted Dean. "What?" he snapped. "You're gonna what?"

Dean's hands curled into fists, and he let out a breath. He didn't know what. He was just so angry, and so frustrated. This never-ending merry-go-round they were on had to stop. Everybody was making him crazy. He sat back down, pounding his fist on the table.

"This has gotta end, one way or the other," Dean fumed. "Cas, we're gonna have to cure you, or we're gonna have to kill you. I can't take it any more."

"I know which one I'd pick," Sam said quietly.

Cas's feelings were hurt at what they were both saying, but he understood it. He was frankly surprised that he was still alive now. If it had been anyone else who'd been doing this to Gail, he would have killed them already, had he been Sam or Dean. Right after she had received that first painful mark. He looked at her now, and the ugly red bite mark on her neck screamed at him in accusation.

He looked at Bobby. "What do you say, Bobby? Maybe you'd better just do it, then."

"No!" Gail exclaimed.

Cas looked at her sadly. "How long can we let this continue, Gail? You can't stay away from me, and I can't stay away from you. And I can follow you anywhere. And I will."

"But we're so close now," she protested. "We know what the second-last ingredient is."

Cas frowned. No one at this table looked the slightest bit happy about that, not even her. He sighed. "What is it?"

Gail told him, and Castiel sat back in his chair. "Well, that's it, then. Bobby won't allow that, of course. Nor could I."

Gail was frustrated. She'd called on him to help her persuade Bobby, and now he was siding with Bobby. He would have to be Castiel right now, wouldn't he? Where was the silver tongue of the Demon when she really needed it?

"Can't we at least just ask around?" she said desperately. "Maybe someone will come forward and volunteer. Surely there must be one in a billion Angels that's sick of being an Angel." But even as she was saying it, she realized how dumb that sounded. Even if someone was sick of being an Angel, they would be signing their own death warrant if they agreed to it. It might take a little while, but they would eventually deteriorate, and then they would die. Who the hell would sign up for something like that?

Castiel was shaking his head. "You know what happens to an Angel whose Grace is taken," he told her grimly. "I know that you know. We happen to have some personal experience in that regard. You saved me by replacing my Grace, and then you saved me again when Frank killed me." He smiled sadly. "Haven't you saved me enough? I'm not worth it, Gail."

Tears filled her eyes. "You are to me!" she exclaimed.

"Well, then, you would be the only one who feels that way," Cas told her. "No one else in this room feels that way any more, I can tell. And what do you think your brother would say if he were here?"

"I don't care," she insisted stubbornly. She looked at Bobby angrily. "And you call yourself our friend."

Bobby sighed. He was getting nowhere with her, and there was no point in starting an argument. He wished Cas wasn't being so decent at the moment, so much like himself. If he was the Demon, it would be far easier just to kill him right here and now. Bobby should just do it anyway. He'd been putting it off, clinging to the hope that they could pull off the cure. But this was an impossible thing that Gail was asking. Even Cas had the good sense to see that.

But Gail was sobbing now, and Cas was trying to comfort her, and Bobby's heart wasn't made of stone. So he sighed.

"OK, Gail," Bobby said, sighing again. "I'll put out an open call in Heaven. But I won't minimize the seriousness of what we're asking, and I won't let anyone volunteer who doesn't realize we're asking them to commit suicide." He rose, and added dryly, "Once I've weeded out the thousands of candidates, I'll be in touch." Then he vanished.

Gail was sniffling against Cas's chest. At least Bobby was willing to do that much. But he was right; nobody was going to volunteer for a suicide mission like that. Why would they? She wouldn't.

The guilt was burning inside Castiel now. He should have told Bobby not to even bother. There was no way he could ask any Angel to give up their life for him; it didn't matter who it was. They may generally think he was still a good guy in Heaven, but he wasn't, and he wasn't worth saving any more, if he ever had been. He wanted to tell Gail that, but she was so upset right now.

"What about Jason?" Dean piped up suddenly. "He's an Angel, isn't he? How about we just take HIS Grace? Who the hell would care?"

Gail lifted her head from Cas's chest and looked at Dean. Hope rose in her, but then it died when Sam said sardonically, "Rowena said it had to come from a righteous Angel. I really doubt Jason would fit that description."

Dean frowned. He guessed Sam was right about that. Damn. It had been such a good idea, for about two seconds.

"Good try, Dean," Cas said, smiling gently. He reached out and wiped the tears away from Gail's cheek with his thumb. "I'm glad I was able to see you again as myself," he told her.

But now she felt like crying some more. Couldn't they all see how good he was when he was himself? He was much better than she was, protesting that no Angel should die on his behalf. She wouldn't have said that; she'd have been asking Sam for a legal pad, compiling a list of likely candidates. She glared at Sam and Dean. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves for what you said," she admonished them. "Cas is your friend. Yes, the Demon's done some rotten stuff, but if I'm willing to forgive him for it, so should you."

Sam rolled his eyes. "That's because he's got you wrapped around his little finger. That's that stupid blood bond thing, that's all. If you were in your right mind, you would have left him a long time ago."

"He's right, Gail," Cas said sadly. "Well, about the blood bond, anyway." But the Demon started rising up in him now. Sam had said they should kill him; he was obviously still trying to get Gail for himself. "But you know why he's saying that, don't you?" the Demon said to Gail. "He wants to take my place. He wants to be the one to-" he leaned forward and described what they did when she lay on her stomach for him, and his language was very crude.

Dean had had it. It was disgusting to hear Cas talking like that, and he didn't need to hear that about Gail. No wonder she was in so much pain all the time, if the Demon did that to her. Dean couldn't imagine that the Demon had been gentle about it, either. Not that there was necessarily anything wrong with that between two consenting adults, but Dean got the feeling that the Demon wouldn't exactly care if she had consented or not.

"That's it. You need to leave," Dean said to Cas.

"Do I?" Cas said coolly. "Okay, I'll leave. But she's coming with me."

"No, I'm not," Gail said. She stood up and walked over to Dean, who also stood and moved in front of her.

The Demon rose too, and he was angry now. "Do you think you can stop me from taking her?"

Sam got up now, and he was debating whether he should just come across the table at Cas. But Cas looked at him with those purple eyes of his. "I wouldn't try it if I were you," he told Sam, and his tone was almost amused. "I'm an Original. I could obliterate you. The only reason I haven't done it by now is because I knew it would upset Gail." Now he smiled. "But she would get over it."

"No, I wouldn't," Gail said, peeking out from behind Dean. She was consoled somewhat by the fact that he was still holding himself back from seriously harming the brothers, for her sake. But what was she supposed to do now? She certainly couldn't leave with him when he was like this. She could only imagine what he would be capable of doing to her, and while she had to admit that some of it would be very good, most of it would be very painful. "I'm not coming back with you, Cas, so you might as well leave," she told him.

"I don't think so," the Demon said, and he was still smiling. He started to move forward. If he could just grab hold of her without having to hurt the Winchesters too badly, the two of them could have a very enjoyable time together. Once she gave in, she would be glad that she had. He would see to it.

"Well, I do," Sam said. He reached down and took the Demon knife out of his boot, showing it to Cas. Dean looked at Sam, surprised. They had always gone to Oliver's unarmed before. But Sam had been keeping the knife in his boot every day since they'd gone to the crossroads, intending to kill Crowley. Now that Dean had stupidly and naively extended the standing invitation to Cas to enter the bunker any time he wished, Sam had wanted to stay prepared.

The Demon laughed harshly. "You're really testing me now," he said to Sam. He had been slowly walking towards Gail this whole time, and he had almost reached her now. If Dean would only move, he would have her. He extended his hand to her. "If you want your friends to stay in one piece, you'll come with me now."

The four of them stood there looking at each other, paralyzed. It was a weird kind of standoff. No one moved. It was as if they were frozen in time, each one waiting to see which of the other would make the first move.

And then, just as Gail moved out from behind Dean and began to extend her hand, Bobby suddenly reappeared.

"I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I, Cas?" he said dryly. He waved his hand and Cas was moved backwards, away from Gail and Dean.

Bobby looked at Gail, shaking his head. "Well, we've had five volunteers," he told her.

She perked up. "So soon? But you've only been gone a few minutes," she said to him.

Bobby smiled thinly. "Actually, I've been gone a bit longer than that," he told her. "Fortunately, I was able to have a peek down here between conversations. Once I saw what was going on, I froze you all for a bit until I was able to conclude the business at hand." He looked around at all four of them, frowning. "Everybody just sit down and cool your jets." They all did, but Gail sat down between Sam and Dean on the opposite side of the table from Cas.

Castiel looked at her and nodded. Good. She was being very smart now. The Demon had been scared off by the sudden appearance by God, and Castiel had taken that opportunity to push to the forefront. He wanted to her what Bobby had to say. There had been five volunteers? He couldn't believe it.

Once they were all settled in their chairs, Gail asked Bobby, "Who were the volunteers?" She felt hope once again. That was more than she had counted on. With that many volunteers, Bobby could pretty much have his pick.

"Daniel and Gregory were the first," Bobby said, and Castiel and Gail exchanged astonished glances. Yes, Cas had spared the former board members, but they had also originally voted to execute him.

"They both said they wanted to atone for their part in your execution," Bobby said to Castiel. He could tell that the Demon was gone for the moment, and he was talking to the real deal now. "And I almost said yes."

"What do you mean, 'almost'?" Gail said, annoyed. "One of those guys would be perfect. They both owe him, big time." If only they really knew how much, she thought bitterly.

"I mean, we can't use either of them," Bobby explained, trying to be patient with her. "I had Kevin go over the definition of 'righteous', translated from the ancient language, and neither one of them qualifies under the definition."

"That's because 'righteous' means to be morally upright, without guilt or sin, right?" Gail said, making a face. "Then that would be right, unfortunately. We all know that doesn't really apply to them. They may have cleaned up their act now, but they're certainly not without guilt or sin, are they?" She looked at Castiel, and he looked back at her sadly. He had lost control again, and it had almost been disastrous. Thank God Bobby had arrived when he had. But she was right about Daniel and Gregory. He didn't have to be a Demon to hold some residual anger towards them for their part in his execution. Just look at him now.

"But then, who would ever fit that definition?" Dean asked, curious. "Even most Angels must have something in their past. A little shoplifting, cheating on a test, something." Dean didn't personally know anybody who fit Gail's definition. Not even the current God.

Bobby looked at him. "You're right. But interestingly, the ancient language defines it slightly differently. Kevin struggled with the wording of the translation, but he said it's more like someone who is honourable, and is willing to do the right thing on their own behalf."

Castiel was puzzled. "'On their own behalf'? That's what it says?" Kevin was the best young Angel Cas knew who was even capable of deciphering the ancient language, but that didn't sound right to him. How could you be righteous and selfish at the same time?

Bobby nodded. "I know, that sounded weird to me, too. But we've only got one shot at this, and we have to make sure we get it right, or there's no point. So, based on that definition, they don't qualify. They both said they wanted to atone, but they're happy in Heaven now, and I know that neither of them honestly wanted to give himself up. They just felt like they should make the offer. So, no. It wouldn't be something they were doing on their own behalf, then, would it?"

They were all silent for a moment. "What about the other three volunteers?" Sam asked. He had put the knife back in his boot, and he was now interested in what Bobby was saying, purely for the intellectual exercise. But his eyes kept straying back to Cas. If Cas thought this was over, he was dreaming.

"After Daniel and Gregory left, Kevin stuck around, and he volunteered. But I told him he could forget it. He's young, he's got his mother there now, and Becky, and he's a Prophet. He's too valuable to Heaven."

Castiel nodded. That only made sense. He was touched that young Kevin had volunteered on his behalf, but he knew that Bobby couldn't have even considered it.

"Then it was Chuck's turn," Bobby continued.

Gail's heart warmed at that thought. She should have figured as much. He had been such a good friend to them, and especially to her in more recent times. And as far as she knew, he was the only one in Heaven besides Bobby who knew what was really going on with Cas. How sweet and selfless of him to have stepped up to the plate like that. But she was hoping that Bobby had turned him down, too. He was her closest Angel friend, and he was a really good guy now. She didn't want him to have to die.

"He made a very compelling argument, and he nearly had me convinced," Bobby told them. "So I thought about it, and then I said yes."

Gail's heart sank. She looked helplessly at Cas. What a horrible situation. He saw the look on her face, and he shook his head. "No. Not Chuck. He's been so good to Gail." He smiled thinly. "Better than I've been."

"You didn't let me finish," Bobby said. "I did tell him yes, but then Laurel buzzed me and said I had somebody waiting outside, and he said it was urgent. So I told Chuck to wait, and she sent the visitor in. He said he'd just heard about what we needed, and that he wanted to volunteer. And he had the best reason on earth for doing it." Bobby looked at Gail, then at Castiel. "And you'll never guess who it was."

They looked at him, then looked at each other. No, they probably wouldn't. Neither one of them could think of anyone who would say anything like that on Castiel's behalf.

"Well, who was it?" Gail asked Bobby.

He leaned back in his chair, smiling. "Ignatius."

Castiel was floored. Ignatius? He looked at Gail. She was having the same reaction. They'd both pretty much forgotten about him. The last they'd heard, he was here on Earth somewhere, hoping to find and reconnect with his daughter Felicia. She was an Angel who had fallen in love with a human, but her father had strongly disapproved, and they hadn't spoken in years. When Cas had decided the fates of the board members, he had shown Ignatius mercy. Even though Ignatius had overseen the tribunal proceeding and had voted death for Castiel, in the end he had shown remorse. After he'd told them he deeply regretted having turned his back on his daughter, Castiel had sent Ignatius to Kevin, to see if the young Prophet could use the computer to help Ignatius locate Felicia. Then Ignatius had gone down to Earth to try to find her. And he was still an Angel when he went.

"He found Felicia," Bobby told them all, "and he told me they have a good relationship now. She married Mark, the human she left Heaven for, and they adopted an 8-year-old boy. Ignatius told me he loves being a grandpa." Bobby smiled at that. He and Ignatius had had a good conversation, and it had been obvious that Ignatius was a changed man. He had moved in with Felicia's family at their request, and he had been living there very happily. Felicia had forgiven him, and after some time, he had forgiven himself. And her husband Mark was a good man, who doted on Felicia and their son. At least he had a biblical name, Ignatius had joked, and he and Bobby had shared a laugh at that. Ignatius was now sorry that he had missed all those years with them due to his prejudice and small-mindedness, he'd told Bobby. But he was making up for it now by being the best father and grandfather that he could possibly be.

But then Daniel and Gregory had contacted him via Angel Radio. Bobby hadn't said what it was for, but he needed an Angel's Grace, and he needed it urgently. Bobby had said it was to help Castiel. They had both offered theirs to Bobby, but he had turned them down, saying that he appreciated their offer, but they didn't "qualify". Bobby didn't explain what that had meant, but he was God, and he really didn't have to explain himself to anyone. Both Daniel and Gregory were happily serving under Bobby now, and they respected him a great deal. But they had discussed it afterwards, and they'd thought that Ignatius should be informed. Old habits died hard, and he was the senior ranking board member, since Castiel had a criminal record, and Xavier was gone.

Ignatius had sent back his own message, thanking them for keeping him informed. Then he had excused himself to his family and walked upstairs to his room to do some thinking. He had been away from Heaven for a while now, and he was out of the loop. His former colleagues had no idea what was going on with Castiel these days, but they had told Ignatius that Bobby had looked very concerned. Ignatius thought about this. When he had seen Bobby last, Ignatius had pledged his loyalty to him. And Castiel had been very merciful to Ignatius. He had allowed him to remain an Angel, and he had sent him to Kevin, who had narrowed down the search for Felicia, enabling Ignatius to find his daughter and her family. Ignatius had also told Castiel and Gail that if they should need any help from him in the future, he would be glad to be of assistance to them. Well, it sounded like they might need his help now, and Ignatius needed to live up to his promise.

So he had come back downstairs and asked to speak with Felicia for a moment. They didn't talk about Angels and Heaven in front of her son, Felicia had advised him when he had first gotten there. She and Mark had discussed it, and even though they had raised him with faith from an infant, they still thought that Robbie was a bit too young to understand the concepts. And as their situation was quite unique, they'd wanted to wait until he was older and more mature before broaching the subject.

Ignatius took Felicia into the kitchen and explained that he needed to go back to Heaven and speak with God to find out what was going on with Castiel, and if he could help. He would be back when he could. As Felicia had forsaken Heaven for Earth, she no longer had the ability to tune in to Angel Radio, so her father assured her that he would come back to the house personally to let her know what was going on. He gave her a kiss and a hug, then he left the house through the front door, tousling his grandson's hair on the way by and giving Mark a quick smile. Once he was outside and out of view, Ignatius had ascended.

Laurel announced him to Bobby, and as Ignatius stood there waiting, Bobby's office door opened, and Chuck came out. He did a double-take as he saw Ignatius, then Chuck looked at Laurel in amazement as Ignatius entered Bobby's office and closed the door softly behind him.

"My Lord," Ignatius said formally, and Bobby almost grinned, but he restrained himself. This guy was one of the Old Guard, and he couldn't help the way he talked. But Bobby stood from his chair and said, "Call me Bobby, Ignatius, please. Have a seat."

Both men sat, and Ignatius explained about the message he had received from Daniel and Gregory. He had thought that he should come, to find out if he could be of any assistance in the matter.

Bobby looked at him, brow furrowed. "Did they give you any details?"

"Only that you require an Angel's Grace, that it was for Castiel, and that it was urgent," Ignatius replied calmly.

Bobby looked at him curiously. "So what are you here for, then?"

Ignatius gave him a sad smile. "I'm here to volunteer mine."

Bobby stared at him, open-mouthed. Ignatius shows up here out of the blue, after he's been on Earth this whole time, and volunteers to give up his own Grace, for Castiel? Did Ignatius realize the implications of what he was saying? He had to; he had served nearly as long as Cas had. But Bobby felt the need to be clear.

"You realize what you're volunteering for, Ignatius? You're proposing to give up your own Grace? You know what that'll do, right?"

Ignatius inclined his head. "I do," he replied.

"Well then, pardon my French, but why the hell would you do it?" Bobby asked him.

"You're speaking English," Ignatius said, confused.

Then Bobby did smile. He couldn't help it. But his smile faded quickly as he realized that Ignatius was completely serious. "I'm sorry, Ignatius," Bobby said soberly. "Let me rephrase that. You would become mortal, then you would weaken, and then you would die. You do understand that, right?"

"Yes, my Lord, I understand that," Ignatius responded patiently. Then he gave Bobby a thin smile of his own. "I'm sorry. I know you told me not to call you that, but you are God, after all, and I'm an old - what did my daughter call it? Oh, yes. I'm an old fuddy-duddy, is the expression, I believe." His smile turned genuine. "I have Castiel to thank for the time I have been able to spend with my daughter, her husband, and my grandson. I can only surmise that he has somehow lost his Grace, and I am willing to give up my own so that he may live. Once you take it from me, I will ask you to send me back down to Earth to live out the remainder of my life as a human, however long that may be. I will stay with my daughter and her husband, and I will teach my grandson about peace, compassion, and tolerance. And then when it is my time to die, I will die knowing that I have done the right thing. At last. As I believe Gail said that day, 'better late than never'. Please. I need to do this, for my own peace of mind."

Bobby was astonished. He had never heard of something so selfless, and so noble. His mind raced. What Ignatius was proposing fit the definition to a tee: it was extremely honourable, and in Ignatius's mind, it was the right thing to do for himself, as well as for Castiel.

"OK, Ignatius," Bobby said. "If this is really what you want to do. Your sacrifice will save Castiel." Bobby hoped that was true, anyway.

Ignatius let out a breath, relieved. So it was true, then. But he was at peace with his decision. He would have to explain it to Felicia, but when he told her the reasons behind it, she would have no choice but to accept what he had done. People died all the time on Earth, and he had lived for thousands of years. He would make the most of his remaining existence, loving his family and receiving their love in return. That was God's most precious gift, and it was all thanks to Castiel that Ignatius had been able to receive that gift.

"You must give Castiel and Gail my best," Ignatius said to Bobby. "Tell Castiel I understand, now." He smiled gently.

Bobby had a lump in his throat. He'd better conclude this meeting before Ignatius suffered the shock of seeing God shed a few tears. He got up, moved around his desk, and stood over Ignatius. He put his hand on Ignatius's head, ready to send him back to Earth to talk to his family, but Ignatius said, "Please, take it now, Bobby. Before I lose my nerve." Ignatius reached into his pocket and handed Bobby the vial he'd brought in preparation for their meeting. He hadn't wanted to give himself the opportunity to back out, and if he went back to Earth to talk with Felicia first, Ignatius was afraid he might weaken. She would be heartbroken, he knew, and if Ignatius were to look at his little grandson, he might give in to selfishness and decide to just stay there.

Bobby took the vial from Ignatius. He was impressed. This guy had come prepared. Still, he wavered. "Are you sure, Ignatius?" He felt compelled to ask the former board member one more time.

Ignatius smiled up at him. "Yes, I'm sure. I am at peace."

With that, Bobby put his hand back on Ignatius's head. The white glow emanated from Bobby's hand, and Ignatius opened his mouth. After a moment, his Grace began to flow out, and Bobby captured it in the vial. When the vial was full, Bobby stopped it up and put it in his pocket.

"How do you feel?" he asked Ignatius.

"Like a human," Ignatius responded. Then he smiled again. "Like a father, and a grandfather."

Bobby felt the lump again. This guy was killing him. This better have been worth it. "I'm going to send you back to Earth now, but first, I want to give you something," Bobby told him. He moved back around the desk and scribbled Dean's cell number on a piece of paper, then gave it to Ignatius. "If you need anything, call this number," Bobby said. "Mention that you know me. They're humans, and they're good men."

Ignatius accepted the paper and put it in his pocket. "Thank you, Bobby," he said. Now that he was a human, he found it easier to use the name that Bobby insisted upon. But Ignatius would tell Robbie some day that this man was God, and he was good.

Then Bobby sent Ignatius back down to Earth, wishing him well. He swallowed, hard, then went back out to the reception area.

"Go back to the library, Chuck," Bobby told him. "You're off the hook."

Castiel was speechless. As Bobby handed the vial containing Ignatius's Grace to Dean to put in the safe, Castiel hung his head and began to cry. Gail rose immediately and walked around the table. She sat beside him and took his hand in both of hers. He looked at her gratefully. She let go of his hand and reached out, touching his face with both of her hands. As he'd done with her so many times in the past, when things had still been good, she wiped the tears from his face with her thumbs.

"See? Others know you're worth saving, too," she told him softly. "Now you just have to work on believing that, yourself."

Bobby felt the lump begin to form in his throat again. This was getting ridiculous. These two. This had better work; if he had to kill them, it would kill HIM.

Dean walked by Cas as he was returning to his seat from the safe, and he put his hand on Cas's shoulder. Cas reached up and put his hand on Dean's. Now Gail was going to start crying. She looked up at Dean, grateful for his gesture of support. Dean gave her a tight smile, then returned to his chair.

Bobby was going to lose it now. He had to get out of here. He would keep an eye on everyone, though, to make sure the current weather didn't change. Well, one eye, anyway; the eye that wasn't filled with tears.

"Call me when you find out what the last ingredient is," he said to them, then winked himself back to Heaven.

Chapter 2 - Family Game Night

Cas kissed Gail softly on the lips. "I'll go back to the apartment," he told her. "Have Sam and Dean drive you to the house to pick up your things. I want you to move in here until we have the cure." He looked at Dean. "Dean, please rescind the standing invitation."

"Why?" Dean asked him.

Cas sighed. "It's obvious, isn't it? I can't be trusted."

Dean was quiet for a moment. He hated to admit it, but Cas was right. "OK, Cas. I'm rescinding the invitation."

Cas sighed again, relieved now. Gail was looking at him sadly, but she knew it was for the best, too. Until they got the cure, this was the safest place for her. If Cas could come over only when invited by Dean or Sam, she and Cas wouldn't be able to be here alone together, once the brothers had gone to sleep. And if she and Cas couldn't be alone here together, the Demon wouldn't be given the opportunity to hurt her again. She certainly wasn't going to go looking for him.

She looked at Cas, trying to smile. "We'll go back and find out the last ingredient, and I'll call you as soon as we do." She touched his face again. "We're almost there, Cas. We're almost there."

He put his hand over hers, holding it there for a moment. Then he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. His eyes darkened suddenly, and he gave her palm a long, slow lick. The Demon was coming out. He was extremely angry that Cas had asked Dean to rescind the standing invitation. If he hadn't done that, even if she moved in here, he could have just popped in here and had her, any time he wanted. Maybe he could get her to come back with him to the apartment.

He leaned forward and whispered, "If you come back with me to the apartment right now, I'll lick you wherever you like, for as long as you want." Then he licked her ear. "Wouldn't you like that?" he murmured.

Yes, she would. She really, really would. But she had better not fall for that again. Still, she thought she deserved something before she had to say no, so Gail turned her face to his and kissed him with her tongue. She savoured the kiss, then said softly, "I'd like that very much. And we'll have to do that again, soon. But not now." Then she forced herself to get up and walk around to the other side of the table.

The Demon was angry now, but as he stood from his chair, Gail grabbed Dean's cell phone from the table. She punched in the code he'd given her for it, then brought up Bobby's number on the screen. She turned the phone around, showing it to the Demon.

"Your call," she said simply.

The Demon cursed her, and Gail winced. It hurt, hearing that word coming out of the mouth of the man she loved. The mouth she had just been kissing a moment ago.

It hurt Sam and Dean, too. As angry as Sam had been at Cas, he had been glad to see the flashes of the old Cas that they'd seen here today. Sam still thought that Gail should do a lot of thinking when all this was over, and he personally thought she should leave Cas, regardless of what happened with the cure. Too much filthy water had gone under the bridge, in Sam's opinion. But the preferable scenario was for Cas to be cured, whatever Sam might feel for Gail now. Intellectually, Sam realized that what had been done to Cas wasn't fair, and it needed to be put right. But Sam could be here for Gail when she had to deal with the inevitable emotional fallout from everything that had happened. And Sam knew that there would be some. She was avoiding Cas now, rejecting the blood bond, and Sam knew that that was a big step for her. But it would probably cost her.

"Please leave," Gail said to Cas, and her voice was cold. She knew it was the Demon who had used that word, but she didn't have to stand here and take that. Cas had punched that poker player out in Las Vegas when the guy had called her that. She wanted that Cas back, so badly.

The Demon had little choice. He didn't want God showing up here. That might be the only fight he couldn't win. He glared at all three of them, then winked out of the bunker.

Gail let out a breath. "Sorry, you guys," she said to Sam and Dean.

"Sorry? What for?" Dean asked her.

She handed him his phone. "I don't know, Dean." She sighed. "I'm just...I'm sorry, that's all."

He rose from his chair and drew her in for a hug. "So are we, Gail."

She returned his hug for a moment; then she pulled out of it, wincing. "Sorry," she said again. "I've got a - thing - " She gestured to the small of her back. She had only shown Bobby, when she had been trying to make a point, and she really didn't want to divulge the embarrassing details to Dean or Sam. It was bad enough that they had seen the bite mark on her neck. If they knew that she had one down there, the brothers could probably figure out what had been going on at the time. But then she remembered: When Cas had been the Demon, he had said it aloud, and in very earthy language, too. She guessed she had no secrets left from them at this point.

"You've got to help us, guys," Gail said to them. "Help keep us apart until we have the cure."

Sam nodded. He could do that. He didn't need to see the rest of her body; he already knew. His blood began to boil again. At least, if they were able to cure Cas, she could then leave him with a clear conscience. And then, once they had broken up, Sam could comfort Gail, with a clear conscience of his own.

"Road trip?" Dean said, grabbing his keys. Gail looked at him, confused, and then she realized. Yeah. She'd better get her stuff packed, before she weakened again and changed her mind.

"Sure," she said to him. Then she smiled. "We can stop by the diner on the way if you like. See what kind of pie they have today."

Dean raised his eyes to the heavens. "I love you, Gail," he said fervently.

Even Sam had to laugh at that. "Let's go," he said.

When they got back, Sam carried Gail's bags to her room, and she trailed behind. She stopped short when she got to the doorway. Sam was putting her bags down on the floor at the foot of the bed, and then he turned to look at her. "What?" he asked her.

"I forgot about that," Gail said, gesturing.

He looked to where she was pointing. Right. The Devil's Trap was still painted under the bed.

"Do you want me to get rid of it?" Sam said.

Gail thought about that, but then she frowned. "No. You'd better leave it." It was tough to admit it, even to herself, but Gail was already starting to weaken. She missed Cas, and she missed him touching her. She thought back on the things they'd done with each other, and to each other, in this room. Some of those had been shameful, but most of them had been very, very good.

She walked over to the bed, deliberately trapping herself. There. Now she couldn't go anywhere, unless Sam or Dean let her go. And Cas couldn't come here, unless one of the brothers invited him. Her stomach started to hurt. Thank God there was only one ingredient left. She turned to Sam.

He was looking at her, and he was feeling mixed emotions. It hurt him to know that she was unable to leave the Devil's Trap, but he was glad that she had walked into it of her own accord. The fact that she had asked him to leave it there told him that she was determined to maintain her resolve to stay away from Cas, and Sam was happy about that.

"I'm going to lay down for a while," Gail told him. She smiled wryly. "I don't think I'll sleep, but I just feel like resting for a while." She sat on the bed. "Oliver's tomorrow?" she asked Sam, giving him a small smile.

Sam smiled back. "Actually, I thought I'd call him now. I know we're all anxious to get this done."

Gail's smile widened. "Thanks, Sam. You're a good guy, you know that?"

His heart warmed. Yes, he was. And Cas had been a very bad one. Sam allowed himself a moment to think about her, underneath him on that bed. Sam would be passionate but gentle, and there would be no painful bite marks on her at the end, only kisses. He could lick her all over, all day long. He was sure she would like that. They would do whatever she wanted. But they would do what SHE wanted, not what she was being forced to submit to. Sam would love to hear her cry out his name.

Sam shook his head slightly. He'd better stop thinking about that. Now was not the time. "No problem," he said to her. "I'll let you rest for a bit." He left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Gail waited a moment, then she stood and took the cell phone out of her pants pocket. She'd made sure to slip it in there when they were at the house. She gave it a little kiss. There was no law against calling him, though, was there?

Cas picked the phone up from the nightstand, and he was thrilled to see that it was Gail calling.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hello," he responded. It occurred to him now that he should have a term of endearment for her. It wasn't enough just to say hello, or call her by her name. He needed a special word just for her, something he could say to her that would let Gail know how much he loved her. Something he could call her both in front of their friends and whisper in her ear when he was making love to her. He was beyond angry at the vulgarity the Demon had used back at the bunker, and he told her that now, and apologized profusely.

"I'm sorry he said those awful things. I hope you know I would never - " his voice broke. "I don't think of you like - " Cas stopped again, taking a shaky breath. "You mean everything to me. I want to treat you as you deserve. I can't wait until I'm just me again."

"Me, too," she said, sighing. Then she brightened. "But Sam's going to call Oliver, and we'll know what the last ingredient is soon. Then it won't be long. Hey, I don't sleep; I can work around the clock, if I need to."

Cas was also excited that they were so close now, but her comment made him feel another stab of guilt. She had poured her heart and soul into his cure. He would never be able to repay her for all the sacrifices she'd made for him. And how about Ignatius, doing what he had done? Castiel still couldn't believe it. He said this to Gail now.

"I know," she agreed.

"All of those years I served with those men," Castiel said, shaking his head. "All of the bad feelings, the disrespect, the vitriol...the tribunal," he mused aloud. He went quiet for a minute, but Gail sensed he wasn't finished. After a moment, he went on: "Xavier, Lanister and Alexander were horrible to me. But that's no excuse for what I've done to them. I'm supposed to be better than that. You made me better than that. But I let my anger get the best of me again, Gail. And I was lured by the power I felt with Crowley's essence in me, and by the confidence it gave me. I should have known better."

Her heart sank. "I didn't exactly help in that regard. I hopped right on board, and I think I'm just as much to blame as you for that," she said to him.

Cas made a face. "No, you're not. I've been an Angel for aeons. You've been one for a year. I've had far more experience with these kinds of things, and I let the ultimate power turn my head. Again. But, as usual, it was a lie."

Yes, it was, Gail thought. But they had somehow seduced themselves into believing it.

They were both quiet, then Cas said, "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Cas," she replied. "I love you."

He was silent.

"Cas?" she asked. "Are you still there?"

"I'm here," he said quietly. Then he laughed shortly. "I'm still mystified as to why, though. But I need you to believe me when I tell you that I love you more than I could ever say, and I'll spend the rest of my existenceshowing you how much."

"I wish you were here showing me how much right now," she teased lightly.

He groaned. "Please don't say that. This separation is killing me as it is."

Gail sighed. "I know. Me, too." She could feel it like it was a physical ache now. "This last ingredient had better be easy." Then she laughed. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'll probably have to go back in time for it, or something. You know, something entirely doable like that. I wonder if Sam knows how to build a time machine."

The Demon started to rise up in Cas now. That was twice that she had mentioned the name of the sainted Sam, and now she was living there with him, when she should be here with Cas, opening her legs to him. She'd better not be even thinking about opening her legs for Sam.

"Well, he may be a smart boy, but I actually have the ability to do that," Cas said sharply. "I could send you back in time, if you needed me to. I can do anything for you that you need. You don't need Sam. You need me."

Gail took the phone away from her ear and looked at it. Where had that suddenly come from? She knew that Cas's moods changed instantly sometimes right now, but this jealousy of his was getting ridiculous. That particular thing had better go with the Demon, or they were going to have more problems. She tried to take the high road.

"You're right, I do need you," she told Cas. "And I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

"Where are you right now?" he asked her.

She thought for a minute. There couldn't be any harm in telling him; neither of them could do anything about it at the moment. She couldn't get out, and he couldn't get in.

"In bed," she told him. "In our room at the bunker."

Cas closed his eyes. He was half himself and half Demon now, and both of them wanted her here, whichever way they could have her.

"Can't you come here and see me, just for a few minutes?" he cajoled.

"I can't," Gail told him. "The bed's got a Devil's Trap underneath it, remember?"

He sighed. How could he have forgotten? But he was shaking with the need now. "Do you have anything sharp?" he asked her.

Gail knew what he was getting at, of course. If she had something sharp, she could scrape the edge of the paint on the Devil's Trap and get out, then pop over and see him. But she really shouldn't. But she really wanted to. But he could hurt her again. But he could make her feel amazing.

But she loved him.

Gail looked around the room. All she'd brought were clothes and her toothbrush, really. But the bags had zippers. It might take some doing, but could she use the teeth from one of the zippers, maybe?

Hmm. Teeth. She would have to think of that word, now. "I'd better not, Cas," she said reluctantly.

"Please," he said, desperate now. "Please, Gail. It's not him right now, it's me. I just need to be with you. I would come there, if I could. Just for a few minutes. Please."

Gail closed her eyes. He was killing her. She wished he WAS the Demon right now. It would be so easy to say no to the Demon.

"I want to make love to you, Gail. I want to tell you that I love you, and to be able to look into your eyes when I do. I need to be inside you. I need to taste you with my tongue. Please. Please," he begged.

OK, that was it. He was making her nuts. She needed all of those things, too. She hung up the phone and threw it on the bed, then went to the edge of the Devil's Trap and dragged one of the bags towards her. She scraped the zipper on the outer edge of the Trap and was pleased to see that the paint was eroding. It was easier than she'd thought it would be, and soon enough of the paint was gone to enable her to step out of it. She vanished immediately.

Cas was on the bed, waiting. He had been going crazy, hoping that she had decided to come. When she'd hung up so suddenly, he honestly hadn't known if she wanted to come. Maybe he'd been too pushy. But he had full possession of himself right now, and he wanted to take advantage. His insecurities were in full bloom. The Demon had treated her so horribly the last time they'd been together that Cas wanted to make it up to her. And he also wanted to try to remind her that he loved her much more than Sam ever could. More than anyone could, ever.

His face lit up when she appeared, but he didn't move. He hoped she would come to him; he didn't want to appear too aggressive. But thankfully, she rushed over to him, and flung herself on top of him. He'd been sitting up, but she knocked him down in her enthuasiasm, and they both laughed.

"Sorry," she said, smiling sheepishly.

"No apologies necessary," he said, answering her smile. "Actually, I kind of liked it."

She laughed again, and began to kiss his face. Little, tiny kisses. "I feel like we've been apart for about a year," she told him.

Cas nodded. It felt like that to him, too. Realistically, though, it hadn't been just the two of them in quite a while, even when they had been alone. But he wouldn't think about that now. He just wanted to enjoy the moment.

He wrapped his arms around her and gently rolled her onto her back. "Are you all right?" he asked her. "Are you in any pain?"

This really was just Cas. She could see the concern on his face, and the love. She smiled. "I'm great," she told him.

"Yes, you are," he said, and he kissed her. She opened her mouth to him but his tongue was tentative in searching for hers. This was her Cas, all right. She gave him her tongue, and he smiled through the kiss.

His hands crept under her clothing and he caressed her bare skin. He was being so gentle and so shy that she was reminded of the first time they had ever been like this together, that first night in Las Vegas. Her heart swelled with love for him.

Castiel undressed her slowly, and then he took his own clothes off and started kissing and licking her body, taking his time. She was going crazy now. He lowered his body and she opened her legs to him. He kissed her thighs, then touched his tongue to her, and her body jumped. "Cas, please, you're driving me crazy," she said, and he realized he might be overdoing it by being so timid. So he grabbed her hips firmly, but not roughly, and pulled her towards his mouth. Gail cried out immediately, saying his name, telling him that she loved him. He stayed there for as long as she needed, then he raised himself up and slipped into her. He moved slowly at first, savouring the experience. Castiel had never made love to her as himself before, all by himself, and he had wanted to see if he was as capable at it as his human persona. Once he overcame his shyness and uncertainty, partly due to Gail's encouragement, he found it to be a truly wondrous feeling. To be able to express his love for her in such a way was unprecedented. She was smiling up at him, and he began to speed up his motion. Then she wrapped her legs around him and his mouth opened in surprise. "I love you, Gail," he told her, and he kissed her on the mouth, and then he felt the warm rush spread through him.

Gail touched his face with both hands. "I love you too, Castiel," she said, smiling. She realized now that it had been Castiel all along, and only him. That explained why he had been so shy and reticent, and so gentle with her. Ever since that first night in Vegas, Cas had never been that way, and the Demon certainly never had been.

Castiel smiled back at her. "I hope you don't mind," he said shyly. "I just wanted to try it once more. I'll send Cas, next time."

Gail didn't mind at all. She thought that might be one of the cutest things that she had ever heard Castiel say. She laughed. "Feel free to drop by any time," she said mischeviously.

They cuddled for a few minutes, then she sighed. "I'd better get back. I'm not supposed to be here. Sam and Dean would freak out."

"I understand," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Please call as soon as you have news."

She assured him that she would, and then she got out of bed and began to dress. Gail glanced at Castiel as she was dressing, and she was amused to see that he was averting his eyes. She finished putting on her clothes, then walked over to him and gave him a hug, and a kiss on the forehead. "It was a pleasure finally making your acquaintance," she said, smiling again. Then she vanished.

Castiel sat there for quite a while after she disappeared, reliving the memory of what had just happened. So, that was what making love was like. It had been wonderful. He might have to "drop by" again in the future from time to time. He looked at his cell phone on the nightstand. He hoped she would be calling soon.

Gail appeared back in the bedroom at the bunker. The door was still closed; hopefully, neither of the brothers had knocked and gotten no answer. She dragged one of the bags over the broken paint on the Devil's Trap and then went over to the bed, picking up the cell phone. She dialed Sam's number.

"Were you able to get a hold of Oliver?" she asked him when he answered.

"Yeah," Sam said, frowning. "I knocked on your door a few minutes ago. Why didn't you answer me then?"

She winced. "I must have been dozing," she lied.

Sam opened his mouth again, then he closed it. Right. She had Demon blood, didn't she? She'd advised them that Cas sometimes slept now; maybe she did, too. That would explain why she hadn't answered his knock, then. He knew she couldn't have left the Devil's Trap.

"Can you come and get me, Sam?" Gail asked innocently.

"Sure," he said, and hung up the phone.

Gail lay on the bed, pretending she was just waking up from a nap. She supposed she should feel guilty for lying to Sam, but it had been for a good cause, in her mind. She had a lovely memory that she could call on now when she felt sad. But why was she thinking that way? They were going to find out soon what the last ingredient was, get it, find out how to make the potion for the cure, take it, and then live happily ever after. Because, after all, that was the way things had always worked in their lives, right? she thought sarcastically.

Sam knocked on the door. Gail waited, but he didn't come in, so she said, "Yeah, come in, Sam." He entered the room and approached her, inadvertently kicking the bag that she had moved to cover the gap in the Devil's Trap. She glanced at the bag relexively. It had moved enough to expose the scratched paint underneath. Crap.

"Sorry, Gail," he said, and he bent down to pick up the bag and move it aside. Then he saw, and he raised his head slowly to look at her.

Double crap. Gail tried a smile. "I guess I'm busted," she said to him.

Sam was frowning, but he said nothing for a moment. Then he walked up to the bed and grabbed her by the arm. "Come with me," he said. He pulled her off the bed and out of the room, taking her across the hall and into the bathroom. He flipped on the light with his free hand and pushed her close to the mirror.

"Look at yourself," he said. He let go of her arm and turned her head to the side, exposing the bite mark on her neck. Crap, and crap again. She had just been with Castiel, and she hadn't remembered to ask him to heal her bite mark. Nor had he offered. Strange. But to be fair, the other marks were on her back, and he wouldn't have seen those. Maybe he hadn't noticed this one, either; it was on one side of her neck. She had been on her back when he had been inside of her, and her head had been turned, hiding the mark on her neck. Then he had looked away from her when she had been getting dressed. And the mark on her neck was no longer bleeding. Or was she still making excuses for him?

"That's not the only one, is it?" Sam asked in a quiet voice. When she didn't answer, he raised his voice. "Is it, Gail?"

"No," she answered, looking down at the floor.

"What's it gonna take, Gail?" Sam asked her, exasperated.

"The cure, Sam," she replied. "That's what it's going to take."

Sam let out a breath in frustration. God, he hated this. "Go to the kitchen," he ordered her. "Dean's there, and he can watch you. I'm gonna fix that circle, and so help me, if you do that again, we're gonna take turns watching you, around the clock."

Gail knew he was right to be angry. Many times when she'd snuck off to see Cas, she had subjected herself to pain and abuse. But her Demon blood started to heat up now, regardless. "You have to sleep sometime," she retorted.

Sam fixed her with a baleful glare. He hated Demon Gail almost as much as he hated Demon Cas. This wasn't the Gail he knew. Damn Cas, and damn Crowley, too. "Try me," he said to her coolly. "Cas isn't the only one with a temper, you know." Then he turned and left the room.

Gail sighed. They'd better get going on this ingredient, before none of them were ever able to speak to each other civilly again.

They pulled up in front of Oliver's house and got out of the car.

He was already opening the door as they were walking to the house. They'd said that this would be the last item to get, and Oliver was relieved that it would finally be over. If any one of them showed up on his doorstep after today, he was going to take out his gun and shoot them. Even her. Maybe especially her.

Gail slipped through the door and returned Oliver's glare. "The feeling is mutual," she said tartly. He looked startled. Did he really think she couldn't see how he felt about her? Gail thought. "Don't worry, this is the last ingredient," she assured him. "Then, it'll all be over." And God, she hoped that was true.

Rowena appeared immediately. She was extremely excited now. "Can I assume by your appearance here that you're ready for the final ingredient?" she asked Gail.

"Yes, we are," Gail told her. But why did she suddenly feel a real sense of foreboding? How horrible was this last one going to be? "But before you give it to us, I just want your assurance that you'll tell us exactly how to make up the potion for the cure. I'm not playing games here, Rowena, and I hope you're not, either. A lot of people have sacrificed a lot of things for this damn cure."

Rowena walked around to where Gail sat and touched the bite mark on her neck. "I see that, dear," she said, smiling slyly. Even Rowena herself would probably have abandoned the cure by this point. And although she would never have allowed herself to receive all of the painful marks she knew Gail had, Rowena wouldn't have minded inflicting a few of her own on a lover. But that would be after a very vigorous go-round, of course. Maybe even during. She envied Gail for that part of it; it had been way too long for Rowena. Too bad Bobby would have nothing to do with her now. He was God, and Rowena was sure he would refuse to be tempted due to that fact. And Gail was insistent upon curing Castiel and restoring him to his Angelic self. But even if Castiel weren't cured, Rowena didn't think she wanted to trifle with him. She would have to find someone she could dominate. When she came back, she intended to be on top, in every sense of the word.

"I'm not playing games," Rowena assured her. "Once you have obtained this last ingredient, I'll be glad to tell you how to mix up the potion. In fact, I'll mix it up for you myself, if you like."

Gail looked at her, puzzled. How could she do that? She was a ghost, wasn't she? But then again, they could feel Rowena when she touched them. So, who knew? But she was getting ahead of herself. "What is it, then?" she asked Rowena impatiently.

"You'll be getting it from me," Rowena replied evasively. "But I'm afraid I can't give it to you right now."

"What are you trying to pull, Rowena?" Sam said angrily. "I thought you said you weren't playing games."

"And I'm not," Rowena said, smiling at him sweetly. Then she looked at Dean. "But, even though these two are very fun to look at, you've brought the wrong men to the party today," she told Gail.

Gail frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Rowena continued to smile. "For this last ingredient, you will need to bring both Castiel and my son to see me."

Gail's jaw dropped. Cas and Crowley here together, in one small, dark room? "Why?" she asked the witch skeptically. "So you can see one of them kill the other? Because that's probably what would happen. If you need that kind of entertainment, why don't you just watch MMA, like everyone else?"

Gail's attitude was making Rowena angry, but right now Rowena needed Gail just as much as Gail needed her. It was vital that those two come here with Gail. In giving Gail the last ingredient, Rowena would be getting the one thing that she herself wanted. But she knew how to manipulate this girl.

"Nonetheless, you need both of them to help you achieve your goal," Rowena told her. "Bring them, and only them." She was standing beside Dean now, and Rowena reached down and caressed his biceps with her fingernails. Too bad this one was too decent to fall into bed with her. She wagered she could teach him a few things. Then again, maybe he could teach her one or two, too. Dean just had that look about him.

Dean made a face. He hated it when she did that. "If she has to bring those two, we're coming, too," he said. "Make sure everyone walks out of here alive." Even Crowley, he supposed. It looked like Gail had been right. Again. If they had killed Crowley at the crossroads that day, he wouldn't have been able to come here, would he? Maybe they'd better pay closer attention the next time Gail was so adamant about one of her intuitions.

"No," Rowena said, digging her nails into Dean. "The three of them, only."

Gail's heart sank. She would have liked Sam and Dean to come with them, maybe even Bobby. She guessed she would have to stand in-between Cas and Crowley at all times, as she had done so many times since the three of them entered into their unholy agreement. She hated being in the middle of those two. But she didn't want either of them to kill the other, either. Yes, Crowley had kidnapped her and taken her to Hell to keep her for himself, but she still felt affection for him. Stupid blood bond. But she had some Demon characteristics right now too, and those two had better behave themselves. They were all going there to get the ingredient, and that was all. They could hate each other on their own time.

She sighed. "Fine. I'll bring them."

"No!" Oliver exclaimed. The King of Hell and the next-worst thing in his house, together with whatever this woman Gail was? How could he possibly allow that? How could he possibly survive it?

Rowena rushed over to where Oliver sat. She grabbed him by the throat. "They will come here," she hissed at him, "or you will never have a moment's peace for the rest of your miserable existence." She wasn't going to let this two-bit quasi=psychic get in her way now, not when she was so close.

Oliver was choking now. "All right," he gasped. Rowena let go of him, and he clutched at his throat, coughing and sputtering. "All right, they can come," Oliver said sullenly.

"I'm glad you see it my way," Rowena said to him. Then she smiled again. Yeah. Like he'd had a choice.

They were back in the bunker now, sitting at the library table. "I don't know which of them to call first," Gail said to Sam and Dean. "They're both going to flip out."

Dean dug a coin out of his pocket. "Which side? Horns, or tails?"

She smiled at him. Dean had been his normal self to her ever since she'd come here to stay, and she appreciated that. She gave Sam a sidelong glance. He obviously hadn't told Dean about her earlier excursion to see Cas. She was a little surprised by that, but she was relieved. It was bad enough feeling Sam's flat gaze every time she looked in his direction.

"Who's which?" she quipped to Dean. He looked at her strangely, but she shrugged. Hey, she could have made a lot worse jokes than that. If Frank were here, he certainly would have. She did miss Frank, a lot. After this was over, she and Cas really needed to make this right with him somehow.

"Call it," Dean said, tossing the coin in the air.

"Tails," Gail said.

Dean caught the coin neatly and flipped it over onto the back of his other hand. Then he revealed it. "Tails," he confirmed.

Sam was still mad, but he couldn't help himself. "So, which one of them is that?" he asked curiously.

"Crowley, of course," Gail said dryly, "seeing as he's such an ass, most of the time."

"Good one," Sam said, and their eyes met. Gail smiled at him, but then Sam looked away. He wasn't ready to forgive her yet.

Gail frowned, and so did Dean. He had no clue what was going on between her and his brother, and when he'd asked Sammy about it, Sam had been noncommittal. Oh, well. Maybe it was just as well. Sammy had been crushing on Gail just a little too hard ever since she had needed rescuing from Cas. When they cured Cas, Sam was going to get his heart broken, Dean was sure. If Gail had stuck by Cas throughout all the crap he had pulled, there was no way she could be pried apart from Cas once he was back to his normal good-guy self. Sam was dreaming. But he'd seemed cooler towards Gail since they'd brought her stuff back here from the house. Maybe Sam was detaching now, knowing that the cure was imminent.

"Do you want us to come with you when you talk to him?" Sam asked Gail, still not looking her in the eye.

"Are you crazy?" Dean said to him. "Of course we're going with her. He kidnapped her last time!"

"Did he?" Sam said expressionlessly.

Gail was angry. "What do you mean? You know he did!"

Sam looked at her. "We only have your word for that," he said coldly. "You're a Demon now, too. And you're quite an accomplished liar now, aren't you?"

Now Gail got it. He was still pissed that she had lied to him about escaping the Devil's Trap and going to see Cas. That was why he was acting like this.

She sighed. "Fine, Sam. Have it your way. You got me. Crowley and I are conspiring to run Hell together, and also to fix the World Series. The Yankees haven't won in a while."

Sam smiled despite himself. He had to hand it to her; she was pretty sharp with the quips sometimes.

Gail saw his smile, and she got up and walked over to where he sat. "I'm sorry, Sam," she said, and she kissed him on the forehead, smoothing his hair back.

He wished she wouldn't have done that. Sam wanted to stay mad at her. It would be easier. Every time he thought about her with Cas, he felt jealous now. And every time she touched Sam, he just wanted to grab her and kiss her. Just to see what it would be like. Sam felt like somebody had infected him with something now, too. He almost wished that had happened; at least that would explain the obsession he had been feeling towards her lately. If he was less decent, he would just let himself into her room once Dean was asleep and get into bed with her. Sam knew what having Demon blood in you was like. Once he started touching her, she would likely respond, and then he could be the one to make her cry out, like she'd done when she and Cas were together. Hearing her like that had almost killed Sam. He tossed and turned at night, thinking about that. Cas had no idea how good he had it.

Gail knew that Sam had feelings for her, but she had no idea how far gone he was now. But even if she had known, there would be nothing she could do about it. So she put her arms around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "Are we OK, Sam?"

"Yeah, we're OK, Gail," he sighed. He stood up. "Let's go see the King of Hell."

Crowley appeared at the crossroads when Gail called, but he had a wary expression on his face. He eyed Sam and Dean with suspicion. "Here to finally do the job, then?" he asked them casually. He hadn't forgotten Gail telling him that they, along with Castiel, had been heading here fully intending to kill him the day he had taken her. If it had been just the Winchesters asking to meet him, he wouldn't have come. But she had asked for him, and the two of them were bonded by blood. She could never set him up like that because of it.

And Crowley was compelled to come whenever she called, anyway. The day that she had been passed out in his office, she had caught him injecting her with his blood. But that had actually been the second injection. The first was when he had withdrawn the blood from her, and injected it into himself. He was all too aware that she and Castiel were bonded to each other, and Crowley had wanted his bond with her to work both ways, too. So now he was as bonded to Gail as she was to him, and he couldn't stay away when she called as a result.

"They're not here to kill you," Gail told him. "They're here for my protection."

"Your protection?" Crowley was amused. "Now, why on earth would you need protection from me?"

Sam snorted in derision. "You're kidding, right? The last time you were alone with her, you kidnapped her!"

Crowley approached Sam, studying his face. "You've got it bad, don't you, Moose?" he said coolly. "Are you sure you don't have some of her blood in you, too?"

Dean picked up on that. "What do you mean, 'too'?" he asked Crowley angrily.

Bollocks. The King thought furiously for a moment. "Besides Castiel, I mean," he said glibly. "And just where is my dear Brother? Getting his knuckles re-set, I imagine?" Crowley's jaw still hurt from that hit. He had no idea how long he had lain there unconscious. He guessed he should have seen that one coming.

"You'll be seeing him soon enough, when the two of you come to Oliver's with me to find out the final ingredient," Gail said to him.

He raised an eyebrow to her, then laughed shortly. "Is that your idea of a joke?"

"No, but it might be your mother's," she retorted. "She told me the two of you have to help me get the last ingredient."

"What makes you think I'll cooperate?" Crowley said irritably.

Sam moved forward, but Gail put her hand up, halting him. She moved close to Crowley. "How about if I say please?" she said to him, putting her hand on his arm.

And, there they were. Those doe eyes. Damn the blood bond. He must have been really drunk that day. Crowley sighed. "All right. But keep that mad dog boyfriend of yours away from me."

Gail smiled. "Thank you," she said to him. But she was worried about that, too. She knew that Cas would agree to go with her in a heartbeat, but when he found out who was coming with them, he would freak out. She would have to make sure she stood between them every second.

"Let's go, then," Crowley sighed.

"We have to go to the bunker first," Gail said. "I haven't gotten him yet." She turned to the brothers. "Can you please invite him in? I'll bring Cas outside first and have a chat with him. Then I'll call you to send Crowley out once I've got him calmed down a bit." Her mouth twitched, despite the potential deadliness of the situation. What a happy family gathering this was going to be. And the three of them were going to see Crowley's mother. Crowley and Castiel were brothers, or at least they had been, once. Did that make Rowena her mother-in-law? So many jokes, so little time.

Gail stood outside the bunker and placed the call to Cas. As usual, he came immediately.

"I need your help to get the last ingredient," she told him.

He put his arms around her. "As vitally important as I know that is, first things first," he said lightly. He leaned in and kissed her softly.

Gail smiled. He was Cas right now. Good. The Demon would freak out, and likely so would Castiel. She might have a shot at keeping this one relatively calm.

"What's the last ingredient?" he asked, still holding her.

"I don't know yet," she told him.

Cas was puzzled. "How am I going to help you get it, if you don't know what it is?"

Gail sighed. A very logical question. Here goes nothing. "Rowena said I have to bring you there, and then she'll tell us what it is," she said.

"But Oliver won't let me in," he protested.

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem this time." Gail smiled, remembering Rowena's threat to Oliver. No, THAT wasn't the problem.

"Well, then, let's go," he said happily, holding out his hand. He would get to be alone with her again, and he got to be the one to help her get the last item. What could be better than that?

"Just a minute," Gail said. "There's someone else who's got to come with us."

"Who?" Cas asked. He was getting suspicious now. She wouldn't be stalling like this if it wasn't someone objectionable.

Gail braced herself. "Crowley."

The Demon's temper rose immediately, but Castiel pushed himself to the forefront now. Why would Rowena request to see her son? The two of them hated each other.

"What else did Rowena say?" Castiel asked Gail, brow furrowed.

Gail thought back to what Rowena had said. "That's it," she told him. "She said that the two of you had to help me get the ingredient, that she would give it to us when we got there, and it had to be the three of us, only."

Castiel thought about this. It was a little bit funny to be on the receiving end of an enigmatic statement like that. Now he understood how Sam and Dean must feel when he did it.

He sighed. "All right, Gail. If we must."

Gail was pleasantly surprised. He wasn't freaking out.

Castiel saw her expression and smiled gently. "I realize how important this is, for all of us. Losing my temper would be unproductive right now, so I will endavour not to do it," he said.

She smiled. "Do me a favour, and tell the other guys in there that," she quipped.

Castiel's smile widened. "I will. And I will try to remain, for as long as I can." He took her hand. "I really want this cure, Gail. You have been treated too badly for too long." His expression was sober when he said that, but then he smiled shyly. "And I look forward to more experiences in the future such as we had earlier."

She kissed him on the cheek. "So do I. And on that note, let's call Sam and Dean so they can send Crowley out here. I want this over with."

Castiel nodded and he took his phone out, placing the call. An instant later, Crowley appeared. He glared at Castiel, but Castiel's expression was neutral. Truthfully, he was extremely angry at his Brother for what he had done to Gail, but he was suppressing it at the moment, trying to think of the greater good.

Gail still had hold of Castiel's hand, so she took one of Crowley's with the other and they vanished, only to reappear on Oliver's front porch.

Oliver saw the three of them out of the window. He was sorely tempted to tell them to go away, but he was too afraid to do it. This would be a temporary horror, compared to facing the lifetime of terror that Rowena had promised. And Oliver believed that would be exactly what would happen to him if he did not comply. These three were seriously evil, and he was anxious to finish with them so that they would finish with him. He was going to have to check real estate listings when all this was over. Maybe downsize his home and his business, and quit doing seances altogether. He could afford to skip a meal once in a while, if it meant never having to deal with these sorts of individuals again.

They sat together in the room as Oliver made his preparations. Crowley was uncharacteristically quiet. He was staring at Castiel with a puzzled look on his face. Eventually, Castiel couldn't ignore his stare any more. "Yes?" he said coolly.

"Are you all right?" Crowley asked him.

"Not particularly," Castiel said. "But I hope to be, once we get this settled." He gave Gail's hand a brief squeeze. "And you can be sure we will be talking about our relationship, going forward."

Crowley continued to stare at him. This was Castiel he was talking to now; he was sure of it. He was back to talking like he had a stick up his arse now. Crowley wondered what had happened to the Demon. He knew that it was still in there, somewhere. Apparently, Castiel had finally mastered the art of self-control to a certain extent. But it was too late. Crowley just wanted to get him cured and to get back to the way things used to be, when he and Castiel were on opposite sides and had very little to do with each other. That was probably what Castiel had been referring to. That was just fine with Crowley. There was, however, the little matter of Gail to be discussed. Regardless of whether Castiel was a Demon or an Angel, he was still an Original, as were all three of them. And as far as Crowley knew, a blood bond between Originals was permanent.

But that was a discussion for another day. No sooner did Oliver dim the lights and take his seat than Rowena appeared. She was excited to see the three of them here, and so soon after she'd told Gail to bring them, too. All throughout this process, Gail had jumped through flaming hoop after flaming hoop, accomplishing things that Rowena had feared might be next to impossible. And, now that they were at the end, Rowena would give the girl what she needed. What she had worked so hard for, to implement the cure. It was only fair, really; in giving Gail what she needed, Gail was now going to give Rowena what she herself needed.

"So nice to see you all here together," Rowena said sweetly. "A happy family reunion, if ever there was one."

She looked at Crowley. "Good to see you again, Fergus."

Crowley glared at her. He hated it when she called him that, and she knew it.

"And my dear Castiel," Rowena purred. She walked around the table and put her hands on his shoulders. She thought about touching him some more, but then she restrained herself. She was too close to achieving her goal now to be stirring the pot. As it was, Gail's eyes were narrowing, so Rowena removed her hands and smiled sweetly. "I must congratulate you, Gail," Rowena told her. "You have done great things. And you're about to do one more. Then you will have your cure. You have my promise."

Rowena turned to Oliver, who was sitting absolutely still. He was pale, nervous. It had further unsettled him to hear Rowena refer to them as family, but he had to admit that explained a lot. No wonder he'd gotten such an evil vibe from the woman and her "boyfriend". And the King of Hell? Self-explanatory. He didn't know how they all might be related to each other, but he didn't care. He just wanted them to be done, and then get the hell out.

"Leave the room," Rowena ordered Oliver. He just sat there, staring at all of them, filled with dread. Were they about to embark on some kind of satanic ritual, or something? And did he even care at this point? This house was cursed now, anyway. After today, he was going to pack his bags. That was, if he were to survive this seance, of course.

"Leave!" Rowena raised her voice, mistaking Oliver's fear for defiance. He jumped from his chair and scurried out of the room.

Crowley smirked. "Don't be so melodramatic, Mother. I believe you scared that poor fellow."

Gail was smirking, too. She didn't mind Oliver being scared at all, and she was glad he had now left the room. He'd been looking at them all with an expression that suggested he'd just sucked a lemon. God, she hated that guy. But, why? She still didn't exactly know.

She looked expectantly at Rowena, who said, "I brought all three of you here tonight because you're Originals. And since the other two are thankfully safely locked away, only you three can combine to bring about the task which will enable you to obtain the last ingredient. Once I have placed it in Gail's hands, I will write down the recipe for the cure to go with it." She paused.

"Will you just get to the point, Mother?" Crowley said irritably. "What's the bloody ingredient?"

"A lock of my hair," Rowena told him.

Gail stared at her. "How are we supposed to get that?" she asked. "You're a ghost."

But Castiel was frowning. "No," he said, slowly shaking his head.

Rowena smiled at him. So, he had already figured it out. "It's the only way," she said to him. "If you want your precious cure, you'll have to bring me back to life."

Crowley got up from the table. "Forget it," he said angrily. "I'm not doing it."

Gail rose too, grabbing him by the arm. "What do you mean, you're not doing it?" she said, panicked. "This is the last ingredient!"

He shook off her hand. "What do I care?" he said to her. "Your domestic issues are not my problem." He stalked out of the room.

Gail wheeled on Castiel. "Do something!" she pleaded.

"What would you have me do, Gail?" he asked her quietly.

She stamped her foot, frustrated. "Let the Demon out of his cage and go kick some Crowley ass!"

Castiel looked at her sadly. "He won't come. He doesn't want the cure, Gail. He never did."

Of all of the times for that bastard to decide not to show up, Gail thought. "Fine," she fumed. "I'm a Demon, too! Wait here!"

She rushed out of the room and raced after Crowley, hoping he hadn't already vanished. She caught up to him just as he was yanking open the front door to leave.

"Please, Crowley, just hear me out." Gail was pleading with him, but he continued walking down the front steps to the front lawn. She was starting to lose her temper now. "Crowley!" she yelled.

He stopped short, then wheeled around. "You shrieked, sweetheart?" he said sarcastically.

Gail took a deep breath. Now that she had his attention, she didn't know what she could say to make him cooperate. Why should he? He hated his mother, and his mother hated him. Why would he ever want to bring Rowena back to life?

"I need you," she said simply.

Damn doe eyes. And she would have to go and say that. He should have just popped out of the house immediately. But something had held him back. Crowley cursed himself now for having injected her blood into him. Actually, he cursed himself for having had his minions kidnap her and her brother in the first place. How had he ever allowed himself to get in this position? He'd hated his Brother for an eternity, and now he was besotted with his Brother's mate. And not for the first time, either. He wondered if this was all their Father's doing, somehow. That wouldn't surprise him one bit.

Crowley sighed. "How can you expect me to go along with this? And I should think you wouldn't want her back, as well. She was nothing but trouble to you when she was alive."

So were you, Gail thought but did not say. No, she didn't want Rowena back, either. But if the only thing that was standing in the way of her obtaining the cure was her hatred of Rowena, Gail was willing to swallow it. She needed Cas cured.

"You're right," Gail agreed, "but it doesn't mean her return has to be permanent."

Crowley's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we get Castiel cured, and then we just kill her again," Gail said, smiling slyly.

Crowley smiled slowly. "It won't be as easy as it was the last time, though. She'll be more on her guard."

"So what?" Gail said, shrugging. She could see that he was looking to be persuaded now. She may have cursed the blood bond many times since she'd found out about it, but now Gail welcomed it. Her affection for Crowley enabled her to understand how he felt about his mother. She could see things from his point of view now. "You're the King of Hell, and I'll be an Angel again, and we're both Originals. She'll be mortal, won't she? Surely we can put our heads together and think of something," she said to him.

Interesting, Crowley thought. She hadn't mentioned Castiel in her little speech. And he supposed she did have a point. His mother could run, but she couldn't hide for long. And it might be kind of fun to go on another caper with Gail, like the one that they had had right here, when they had intimidated Oliver into helping her.

Gail put her hand on his arm. "Please," she said softly.

Crowley sighed. "All right, Gail. But as soon as we bring her back to life, we'll have to start planning her death."

She smiled. "You've got a deal."

Rowena was staring at Castiel, and her unwavering gaze was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he said testily.

"You've always been a puzzle to me," she replied. "You're an Angel, or at least, you will be one again soon. But you have a lot of Demonic qualities too, and many human ones, as well. Maybe that's why Metatron's recipe had such an effect on you. You've had the potential for evil in you all along."

Cas came to the forefront now. "I'm not evil," he protested.

"I didn't say you were evil," Rowena said calmly. "I just said you had the potential for evil."

Cas opened his mouth to protest again, but then he closed it. In a way, she was right. Hadn't he been a rebel for years now, a square peg trying to fit into Heaven's round hole? Hadn't he resented other Angels, who seemed so content to do whatever was asked of them without employing any independent thought? Hadn't he felt that metaphorical halo tighten around his head for so many years that it had eventually just about taken his head clean off his shoulders? What a sense of relief he had felt when he had just decided to take it off, and surrender to his base urges. He was no one's hero, and he wasn't a good guy. He may have been on the side of the Angels, but that didn't mean for one second that he was one of them, not really. But he had tried so hard to be so good for so long. And what was better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?

He gave Rowena a tight smile. "I guess there are two sides to every coin."

"There certainly are," Rowena said softly. "Remember that, when you revert back to yourself. A little sin is good for the soul sometimes. Gail is a lucky woman."

Now Cas was feeling uncomfortable again. He didn't want to be sitting here talking to her like this. Gail hadn't come back yet. She was obviously still trying to talk to Crowley. How worried should Cas be about their blood bond? But that was why he so desperately needed the cure. Once he was back to himself again, he could devote himself to protecting Gail from others, most especially Crowley. That would certainly be preferable to having to worry about protecting her from himself, he thought sadly.

Suddenly, she came back into the room, and Crowley was with her. And they were holding hands.

Crowley had grabbed Gail's hand right before they re-entered the room, knowing it would drive Castiel crazy. He smiled. It was funny how something so simple and innocent as holding her hand would probably bother his Brother more than if Crowley just threw Gail down on the table and had his way with her.

Cas rose from his chair, partly because it was his custom to do so when she entered a room, but also because it had been a knee-jerk reaction to seeing Crowley holding her hand. He was fighting the Demon now on two fronts. Not only was the Demon exhorting him to obliterate Crowley for everything he had ever done to them, but it also wanted to get out of here, fast. They were dangerously close to achieving the cure now, and the Demon didn't want them to succeed.

Cas was opening and closing his hands, trying to keep himself under control. "Let's get this done. Now," he barked.

Gail recognized the struggle he was having. They'd better hurry. "What do we have to do?" she asked Crowley. "How does this work?"

Crowley explained it to her. Only he, of the three of them, had the power of revival, the power that their Father had first gifted to all of the male Originals but had subsequently removed from Castiel and Lucifer. But in order to bring someone back from the Nethworld who was not an Original themselves, extra powers were required. It had taken the powers of Metatron and Crowley combined to bring Raphael back from the Netherworld in order to testify at the tribunal, and even then they could only bring him back temporarily. When Castiel had been executed, Crowley had been able to bring him back from his brief stay in the Netherworld single-handedly, as they had both been Originals. But in order to bring Rowena back permanently, the power of three Originals would be required.

Rowena had found out about this fact due to a happy accident. She had flirted her way through a lot of men in the Netherworld, and then she had happened upon Luke, who had explained the process to her after she had lavished him with attention and flattery. Then, when she had received the initial contact from Oliver, Rowena had wondered if this could be her chance.

Gail was confused, trying to do the math in her head. One Original could bring back one Original. Two could bring back an Archangel, but only temporarily. And three were required to bring back a human witch permanently. She supposed this only made sense in their world; it wouldn't have, anywhere else. She found herself wondering for a second what could be accomplished if all five Originals were to put their powers all together. Then she shivered. That didn't even bear thinking about.

She sighed. "OK. How do we do it?"

So it was done, and Rowena stood before them, a living, breathing human again. Rowena could scarcely believe it. If she could get a mailing address, she would have to send a Thank You card to Luke, care of the Netherworld.

"So, what now?" Gail asked Rowena. She was cringing inwardly. She couldn't believe that they had actually been forced to do this. Rowena had better not be screwing with them, or they would combine their powers again to blow her to bits right before they sent her back to the Netherworld. See if she came back from that.

"You'll take me to the bunker and I'll give you the lock of my hair. Then I'll give you the recipe for the potion. You'll be using all of the ingredients you've accumulated, but they have to be mixed in a certain order," Rowena told her.

Gail frowned. The bunker? "Why the bunker?" Gail asked the witch.

Rowena looked at Crowley. "Because my son can't enter the bunker," she said. "I know you want to kill me, Fergus. Well, that's not going to happen. I have powers too, and I know some secrets. My time in the Netherworld has been very...educational. I would advise you to leave me alone. If you do, I might even leave you alone." She smiled and patted him lightly on the cheek.

Crowley frowned, and his eyes flashed red for a moment. Just what did she mean by that? And how worried should he be about the fact that she was alive again? He glared at Gail. This was all her fault.

Gail saw the expression on his face, and she looked back at him coolly. She knew he was blaming her, but he was wrong. It was his own damn fault they'd had to even take this drastic step. If he hadn't thought he was being cute by breathing his Demon essence into Castiel in the first place, they wouldn't be in this position now, would they? If he needed some reminding about that, she'd be only too glad to provide it. Or she could have Castiel do it, if Crowley was going to get pissy about it. He would probably be even happier to provide the lesson. She smiled to herself.

"I need to speak to Gail alone for a moment," Crowley said. He grabbed her hand and snapped his fingers, and they were standing outside on the lawn again.

Cas freaked out. Had he kidnapped her again? He started to run out of the room, but Rowena grabbed his arm. Her fingernails dug into him, and her grip was surprisingly strong for someone who had been a ghost mere minutes ago.

"Relax," Rowena told him. "They've merely gone outside."

"How do you know that?" he asked her angrily.

"I can see them," she replied, smiling. "I'm not without my own powers, you know." Then she frowned. "Unfortunately, I can't hear what they're saying. But I'll be able to, soon," she added enigmatically.

Castiel was enraged. This woman was evil, and she was also a threat to Gail. He'd had no choice but to go along in order to get the last ingredient for the cure, but Rowena had better not think she could trifle with them again. He shook her hand off his arm and took his blade out of his jacket, pointing it at her throat.

"Surely you're not going to kill me, after your sweetie has gone through all that trouble," she said lightly.

Cas's eyes flashed purple. He was fighting to keep his temper, and to stay in control. The Demon wanted to do just that. Then the cure would be impossible. He was sure that Crowley would not be persuaded to help them a second time. But even as Castiel held the Demon back with all the strength he had, Cas wanted to send Rowena a message.

He grabbed her by the throat, holding his blade to her face with the other hand. "You will leave us alone. If you try to hurt Gail in any way, I will carve you up, and I won't need to be the Demon to do it," he growled.

Rowena smiled to cover up her fear. Her respect for Gail grew. If this was the face that Gail sometimes saw when that magnificent body was on top of her, driving into her, it was a wonder that the girl had not gone insane by now. But Rowena could not show him that she was afraid of him. That would give him all the power.

"My, my, aren't you manly?" she cooed, trying to keep her voice steady. "Tell me, dear, is the blade proportional? If so, you should send the Demon to see me one night, before you drink the cure."

Cas released her, pushing her away from him. She was disgusting. But he had made his point, and he had seen the fear in her eyes.

"What is it now, Crowley?" Gail asked him irritably. She wanted to get to the bunker, get Rowena's hair, and mix up the potion for Cas to drink. And herself, too, of course.

"You'll owe me a favour now," Crowley told her. "A big one."

"Right. Whatever. Can we talk about this later?" she said, agitated.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "You will come to me when I call you, just as I have to come to you whenever you call me."

"What do you mean, you HAVE to come to me?" Gail asked him, puzzled. She just thought he came because he was helping her to get the cure, and she told him this now.

He sighed. He might as well tell her. "That was how it started out, but the day that you and I had a few in my office, I suffered from a regrettable lapse in judgment. Before I attempted to dose you, I withdrew a bit of your blood and injected it into myself."

Gail slapped him in the face. "You bastard!" she yelled. "How could you?" Then she stood there, speechless. Now she and Crowley had the same mutual blood bond that she shared with Castiel. Even though Castiel's blood was diseased, and he had obtained hers in a disgusting and shameful manner, it had still signified to her that their relationship was special. But now the King of Hell was telling her that she had the same kind of relationship with him? This was too much.

"You went too far," she seethed.

"Perhaps. But it's done now," Crowley said, shrugging.

His casual attitude was making her even angrier. "After today, I'm done with you," she said bitterly.

"Oh, but you're not, sweetheart. Nor am I done with you. A blood bond is very strong, and a mutual blood bond is forever."

Gail turned her back on him and walked back into the house. Oh God, what a mess. They had brought an evil witch back to life and to Earth to do Lord only knew what to all of them, and now she had a mysterious bond with the King of Hell, which he was telling her would never be broken. The next time she saw Metatron, she was going to strangle him with her bare hands.

Gail strode into the seance room, and she looked angry. Castiel went to her and took her hand. "What's the matter?" he asked her.

"We'll talk about it later," she told him. "Let's just get to the bunker."

"Where's my son?" Rowena asked, curious.

"Who cares? Let's go," Gail retorted.

"Fine with me," Rowena said, shrugging. She was anxious now to conclude her business with these two; at least, the present business, anyway. Then she would be free to do whatever she wanted. Rowena reached out for Castiel's hand. She could do many things using the proper spells, but she could not teleport without some kind of assistance. When she had gone to Scotland a year or so ago to dig up Fergus's bones, she had had some very special help. That was just one of her secrets. They would find out that she had many.

Castiel looked at Rowena's hand. He didn't want to touch her. She was looking at him like he was a seven-course meal, and she had been fasting for a week. He looked at Gail instead. "Please take her hand," he said to Gail.

Gail did, and the three of them went to the bunker.

None of them could get in, of course, so Castiel called Dean's cell phone to request admittance.

Dean sighed. He would be really glad when they didn't have to do that any more. And he would be ecstatic when he always knew which Cas he was going to see when his friend arrived. "Yeah, you can come in, Cas."

"Can I bring her with me?" Castiel asked Dean.

Dean was puzzled. "Of course." Why would Cas ask for permission to bring Gail? The two of them were a package deal. Then Dean shrugged. Who the hell knew how these things worked, really? Maybe Cas had just been making sure.

Castiel knew exactly what he was doing. He'd used the non-specific female pronoun on purpose. The brothers would freak out if they knew that he and Gail were bringing Rowena in. But he had needed the OK to do so, and they needed her for the time being.

He took the womens' hands and winked them all inside.

Sam and Dean jumped up from their seats as soon as they saw Rowena.

"What the hell, Cas?" Dean shouted. "Now you're bringing ghosts into our house?"

"I'm very real, dearie," Rowena said, amused. "I could show you, if you like." She looked from him to Sam and back again. What she wouldn't give to have half an hour to spend with either one of them. Or, how about an hour, with both of them at the same time? Now that she was back in her body, she wanted to feel all of its sensations again.

Dean made a face. "What's she talking about?" he asked Cas.

Castiel sighed. "We had to bring her back to life, to get the last ingredient for the cure. Three Originals together can generate the power to bring someone back from the Netherworld. That was why it had to be Gail, Crowley and myself there."

Gail was looking at the brothers' faces. She had known they weren't going to be too wild about this. They didn't seem as surprised to learn that three Originals could do that, so much as disgusted to have Rowena in the bunker. "Rowena's here to give us a lock of her hair, which is the last ingredient. Then she's going to help us make the potion."

"And then I'll be gone," Rowena said lightly. She walked up to Sam. "Do you happen to have a pair of scissors?" she asked him. She'd had her hair twisted into a bun in the back, but now she released it. Her long red hair came cascading down her shoulders. "It's time I had a wee trim."

Sam glared at her, but he went to the drawer to get the scissors, then he came back with them. He'd love to bury them right in her chest. He took a deep breath to keep his cool, handing the scissors to Gail. "Here. You do the honours."

Gail took the scissors from him and Rowena held out a tress for her. Gail snipped off a curl of Rowena's hair, handing it to Dean.

"Can you and Sam please get the items from the safe?" Gail asked him. "I want to talk to Cas for a minute."

She took Castiel's hand and led him down the hallway so they wouldn't be overheard.

"What is it, Gail?" he asked her gently. But he thought he knew.

"I need to know what we're going to do if it doesn't work," she said nervously. It was funny, really; she'd been looking forward to this for so long, and now she was anxious about it.

"Die, I suppose," Castiel said. "Bobby will probably have to kill us."

Tears sprang to Gail's eyes, and he instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry, Gail," he said, putting his arms around her. "I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did," she said, shaking her head. "And you're right. We can't live like we've been living. We'll start hating ourselves, and we'll hate each other."

"I could never hate you, Gail," he said quietly. "But you would hate me." He gave her a grim smile. "You already should. I'm so sorry, Gail. For everything."

"You've already apologized," she told him.

"Yes, but saying sorry doesn't mean there isn't guilt," Castiel pointed out. "I'll carry that guilt for the rest of my existence."

"I've forgiven you, Castiel," she said, touching his face. Then she removed her hand. "But forgiving doesn't mean the pain is gone."

That pierced his heart, but Castiel nodded. He understood. Once they had taken the cure, he would suggest that they talk to Bobby. He was God, and he was very wise. Maybe he would have some advice on how they could go forward from here. Things were bound to be uncomfortable for a while. And he would need advice on how to make it up to Sam and Dean, and to Bobby himself. Not to mention Frank.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked her, feeling suddenly shy.

Gail nodded. She felt strangely shy, too. Their relationship had been strained to its breaking point several times, especially recently, and it felt like they were going to have to start all over again. In a way, that might be just the thing to do, she thought to herself.

He kissed her softly, then he opened her mouth with his tongue and she tentatively gave him hers. His arms tightened around her. "I like that, a lot," he told her, smiling. Then his fingers dug into her. "But I like this more." He grabbed her hand and put it down his pants, and he put his hand in hers. Gail's eyes widened. His eyes went dark purple, and he was pushing himself against her while his fingers stroked her. The Demon had used Castiel's shyness to get Gail to drop her guard, and now he had full control. If he could just awaken the Demon in her, he could get her to help him sabotage the cure. He'd been scared that they were going to pour the stupid stuff down his throat and turn him back into a milquetoast, self-denying Angel again. He liked what they were doing now much better than being all pure and self-righteous. And he knew that she did, too.

Against her better judgment, Gail was stroking him now too, and moving against his hand. "We shouldn't be doing this," she said softly.

"That's what makes it so exciting," the Demon said. He sped up his fingers, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She'd bitten down so hard a drop of blood appeared on her lip, and his mouth came down on hers as he sucked her lip eagerly. Then he licked her lips slowly, savouring the taste. "Let's go to the apartment," he murmured. He could just grab her and take her there right now, but he wanted it to be her choice. Otherwise, she would just keep running away, and she would make him angry if she did that. And if she made him angry enough, he might really hurt her. But he would much rather be doing this to her. "I'll get down on my knees and lick you, for as long as you want. Then you can lay on your stomach for me. It'll be fantastic," he said.

She wanted to do that. God help her. They had everything they needed for the cure in the other room, but Gail wanted to let him take her to the apartment and use his tongue on her, right now. She needed it. Maybe they could just go for a few minutes. She would lay on her stomach for him afterwards, and it would be amazing. Then he would kiss her and lick her all over, if she wanted, and she could do the same for him. Then, when they were ready again, they could tease each other with their tongues until they were so crazy that they couldn't stand it any more.

He was licking her neck now, and they were still moving against each others' hands. He whispered in her ear, telling her everything he wanted to do to her, and everything he wanted her to do to him. She was just about to open her mouth to tell him to take her to the apartment, or maybe just to tell him to push her against the wall and do it right here, when he bit her neck, hard. He sucked the blood from her and felt the now-familiar warm rush against her hand. She was so good. In a minute, once he caught his breath, he would take her to the apartment and lay her down on the bed, bite the insides of her thighs, and then use his tongue on her until she was crying out and grabbing him by the hair. But then he would stop, and he wouldn't agree to resume until she bit him, and sucked a drop or two of his blood. He would push himself inside of her and get her to bite his neck, as he had bitten hers in the past. She would like it. He was sure she would. Look how she moved under him when he had her on her stomach now.

But Gail pushed him away from her. The bite had hurt so badly her pleasure was now gone, and she had come to her senses. "Sam! Dean! Help!" she yelled. The Demon tried to grab her, but she screamed, stepping to the side to avoid him. He took out his blade. What was he going to do with that? she thought, panicked. He came for her and she felt desperate, so she kicked him in the crotch, as hard as she could. He went down in a heap.

Sam and Dean ran into the hallway just in time to see her do that, and they grabbed Cas, who was writhing in pain. They dragged him to the storage room as Gail raced along with them. She took Cas's other arm while Sam keyed in the code. He yanked open the door and the men plunked him down in the chair, putting the chains on him.

The Demon was starting to recover from the pain now, but it was too late. He was shocked. He had never experienced anything like that before. That had been excruciating, the direct opposite of the pleasure he'd felt there a moment before. If he weren't so insanely angry, he could almost have smiled. The latter had occurred at Gail's hand, but the former had come at the end of her foot. He could never have imagined pain like that. And now he was trapped. He strained against the chains, cursing at the top of his lungs, calling the Winchesters and Gail every foul name he could think of.

Gail turned her back on him, but she could still hear his ugly words, so she ran out of the room. She put her hand to her neck and it came away bloody. Damn it, and damn him! But she supposed she had to thank him, too. If he hadn't done that, she would have gone back with him to the apartment. She had been about to give in, and God only knew what he would have done to her there.

Rowena was standing in the library, open-mouthed. She had seen pretty much everything in her centuries of living, but that particular sight was a first. Now she saw why Gail was so desperate for the cure. Rowena had taunted her about Castiel's brutality, but she actually felt a little sorry for Gail now. Rowena herself wouldn't have put up with anything near what Gail had endured, though. The first painful bite, and Castiel would have been dead before he hit the ground. There were lots of fish in the sea. Maybe Rowena should remind Gail of that fact. There were two very appetizing-looking ones living right here, and they shouldn't go to waste.

Gail could feel the blood dripping down her neck, and it was starting to soak her top now. It was even worse than she'd thought. She just stood there in shock, unable to think.

Sam brought her a towel. "Here, hold this against your neck," he said to her. "Press hard, like this." He showed her. "It should stop in a minute."

"Thanks, Sam," she said quietly. He touched her cheek, and then he went to the training room to get some supplies to dress the wound. He'd thought about asking Bobby to come down, but since Rowena was here now, Sam had figured he'd better not.

Dean was still in the storage room staring at Cas, stoically taking all the threats and profanities that were streaming from his friend's mouth. Dean had received so many threats for so many years from so many beings that they meant nothing to him any more, and he had learned most of those curse words in grade school. It hurt him to hear Cas's voice using them though, and see them coming out of his friend's mouth. Especially the things Cas was saying about Gail. But Dean felt like he had to fix this in his memory for some reason. Maybe it was so that he could accept Cas's death if the cure failed to work and Bobby had to kill Cas. If that was the case, Dean had to put the old Cas out of his mind, and it would be easier to do that if he thought of Cas the way he was seeing him now.

Tears formed in his eyes, and Dean knuckled them away angrily. But then he decided to let them come. Dean knew that people didn't cry because they were weak, it was because they had been strong for too long. His father never knew that, but Bobby did. So did Sam, and so did the real Cas. Sometimes men did cry, and that was OK. Sometimes you had to, or you'd end up looking at your weapons for too long, wondering what it would feel like to just pick up one of those guns and put it in your mouth. Dean knew that most people thought he didn't care about a lot of things, and that he had become cynical and jaded because of what he and Sam did. And that was the image he put out there, to protect himself. But as he looked at Cas, he pictured Gail reaching up to touch Cas's face, and the way Cas's eyes looked whenever she did that. Dean pictured a woman's hand touching his own face in the same way. If he ever found that woman, he would never let go of her.

Sam was dressing Gail's wound. He had disinfected it first, causing her to hiss in pain, and he had apologized profusely. He had been so hard on her recently, but none of this was her fault, and Sam needed to remember that.

Rowena had taken a seat at the table, waiting for Sam to finish so that they could start making the potion. She could have just left at any time; Rowena had gotten what she wanted, after all. But she felt a strange sort of kinship for Gail now. She appeared weak, but she was incredibly strong. She had accomplished things that no one else could have, and the men all danced to her tune, though Rowena was sure that Gail was not even aware of this fact. She had powers she didn't even seem to know about, or at least, that she didn't use to their full potential. But Rowena didn't know what Gail would be like after the cure took hold. Castiel might revert to a goody-two-shoes Angel, but Rowena had the feeling that Gail might not. She would bear watching. Rowena had seen her son and Gail interact, and she knew that there was as much of a blood bond between Crowley and Gail as there was between Castiel and Gail. And if that was the case, the girl would be conflicted, unsure of which side to take.

And Rowena's sharp eyes had also noticed the way that Sam was looking at Gail as he tended to her. Very interesting. Gail was staring straight ahead as Sam dressed her wound, talking softly to her, but Rowena didn't buy what Gail seemed to be selling. When Sam was finished, Gail put her hands on his face and kissed him on the cheek, and then Rowena figured it out. Sam was in love with Gail, and Gail knew.

Rowena shook her head. She could teach Gail a lot of things, if Gail cared to learn them, but Gail was going to have to teach Rowena how she had wrapped so many men around her little finger. She smiled at Gail, who gave her a small, surprised smile in return. Yes, they could be a very formidable team, Rowena thought.

"Ready to make the potion?" Rowena asked Gail.

"Ready," Gail said.

Chapter 3 - The Needle And The Damage Done

Gail was handing the ingredients to Rowena, who was mixing them in a large bowl that Sam had brought from the kitchen.

Sam and Dean were watching the women quietly. Dean hadn't said one word since he'd come out from the storage room. He just sat there morosely, looking at the cup of coffee Sam had brought him. His best friend was a snarling, cursing Demon, Gail had his unholy hickey on her neck, and the world's most evil witch was here in the bunker, mixing their hard-won ingredients in a bowl like she was putting together pancake batter for breakfast, or something. This cure had better work, or Dean was finally going to lose it.

Sam was watching Gail watch Rowena. Gail's top was soaked through with her blood, and it was driving Sam crazy. He got up and went to his room, taking one of his shirts off the hanger, and brought it out to where Gail stood.

"Put this on, Gail. Please," he said to her.

She looked up at him, saw the expression on his face, and took the shirt from him. "OK, Sam. Thanks," she said. She ducked into the hallway and took off her top, putting Sam's shirt on and rolling up the sleeves. That did feel better. The shirt was soft flannel, and it smelled nice and clean. She left her top on the floor. They could dispose of it later.

A few more minutes of mixing, and then Rowena announced that the potion was ready. She dipped a ladle into the bowl and filled a cup with it. "Here you are, my dear," Rowena said, handing it to Gail.

Gail took the cup and started off down the hall, but Sam stood in her way. "No," he said. "You take it."

She looked at him, then shrugged. There was plenty in the bowl, and she knew she needed to take it, too. She would be the guinea pig, then. "Cheers," she said, then downed the cup. She'd been wondering what something that contained all those weird ingredients would taste like, but it was surprisingly tasteless. Gail tried not to think about some of the things she had just ingested. Eau de Lucifer and Metatron. Bobby's blood. A ground-up vampire fang. Yech. As a party punch, she was pretty sure it wouldn't catch on.

She looked at Rowena. "How long does it take to work?"

Rowena shrugged. "It depends upon the severity of the infection."

Gail thought about that. Should be pretty quick in her case, then. She'd only received a couple of vials of Cas's blood back when this whole thing had started. She actually had more Crowley than Castiel in her now. "How will I know if it worked?" she persisted. "I don't feel any different."

"You'll know," Rowena assured her. "Now, what do you say we try it out on Castiel?"

Dean rose, and he and Sam led the way to the storage room, Gail and Rowena trailing behind. Dean covered the keypad with his hand as he entered the code. He wasn't crazy about Rowena being here to begin with, and he really hated the fact that she was now going to see the room where they had held her son. But he supposed they should keep her around, until both Gail and Cas could demonstrate that they were cured. Just in case.

They walked into the room and Cas looked at them, eyes narrowed. The Demon knew what was going on here. They were going to force-feed the cure to him now. He was desperate. He looked at Gail. "You don't want to do this," he pleaded with her. "I'm much better this way. Castiel can't love you like I can. He has no idea what you need. And Cas is a screw-up. I'm the only one who knows what you really like." He went on to describe everything they had ever done together, trying to seduce her with his words. If he could just touch her, or use his tongue on her, he was sure he could convince her.

"Set me free, like you did before," the Demon said to her. "Remember how good we were that night? I'll do anything you want. And I'll never hurt you again, I swear. I just want to make you feel good, all the time."

Gail approached him. It was funny, really. When he'd started out talking about everything they had done together, she'd felt the familiar ache. She wanted him to do all of those things to her right now. As she slowly approached the chair, she wanted to sit in his lap and feel his tongue in her mouth. Maybe she could undo their pants and then she would straddle him, as they had done before in this room. His hands weren't free this time; Sam and Dean had bound his arms, since they now knew that he could get out of sigil handcuffs. But even so, it would feel so good.

"You have powers," the Demon crooned. "You could incapacitate them, then get the keys from Dean's pocket and set me free. Then I could kill them all, so they would never bother us again. I want us to be alone, Gail. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

She would. But what he was suggesting was ridiculous. "You're not killing anybody, Cas. If that's your plan, you can just forget it," she told him.

The Demon cursed himself. He shouldn't have said that part out loud. He should have had her release him, and then just done it. She was too soft-hearted, even with both his and Crowley's blood in her. And she was holding a cup in her hands. The damned cure.

Sam and Dean approached Cas now and stood on either side of him. He glared at them. "I hate you both," he said to the brothers.

"Go ahead, hate away," Dean said, almost cheerfully. "We know you're not Cas, and it's time for you to get the hell out of him." He looked up. "Ready, Gail?"

"Ready," she said. "Just like we talked about."

Dean grabbed Cas's head and pulled it back, and Gail moved forward, pouring the potion into his mouth. Sam was holding Cas's mouth open, and as soon as Gail poured, Sam pinched Cas's nose and put his hand over Cas's mouth to prevent him from spitting out the liquid. Gail had told them that he had done that at the cabin when Aurielle had made her first attempt to get him to swallow it, and they had to make damn sure he swallowed this stuff.

Cas tried to struggle, but it was impossible, of course. They had him immobilized, and he had to swallow the potion in order to be able to breathe again. Sam's hands were clamped firmly on his mouth, and his nose. "I'll let go when you swallow it," he told Cas. "The faster you do it, the faster I'll let go." Cas's eyes were dark purple, and they were flashing brightly. Sam was so sick of that colour.

Having little choice, Cas swallowed the liquid, and the brothers let go of him. Gail had stepped back, but now she stepped forward again, looking at Cas's face. He began to curse again, calling them the worst names imaginable. Gail continued to look at him sadly. She wondered if this was going to work. She didn't really feel any different, herself. Had this whole thing been pointless?

Gail turned and walked back to Rowena, who was standing near the doorway watching. "How long does this stuff take to work?" Gail asked her again. "Shouldn't I feel something by now?"

"Patience is a virtue dear," Rowena said lightly. "We'll wait half an hour for it to take effect. There's plenty more, if we need to do it again."

Gail sighed. The four of them left the room and went back to the library area, but Gail was restless. She paced the floor, anxious.

"I need something to eat," Dean announced to the room in general. He wasn't particularly hungry, but if he just kept sitting here, he was going to go nuts.

"Sounds like a plan," Sam agreed. He knew his brother; Dean needed something to do, and so did Sam, at this point.

"I wonder if I may bother you for a wee snack?" Rowena said sweetly. "I haven't had anything to eat in ever so long." Not since Gail murdered me, she thought. But she could sort out her feelings about that later on. Right now, she was quite curious to see what was going to happen here. While confident that she had mixed the antidote correctly based on the list of ingredients that Metatron had provided, Rowena also knew that the poison had been in Castiel's system for some time now. They might have to give him several doses before seeing any results. But in the meantime, she would enjoy a bite to eat, along with the eye candy that the brothers provided for dessert.

Dean rolled his eyes. Now they were expected to feed the witch, too? He looked at Sam, and Sam shrugged. What the hell.

They rose and started down the hallway, then Dean looked behind him and realized that Gail was not with them. "Go ahead," he said to Sam and Rowena, and he went back to the library area, where Gail was still pacing the floor.

"You coming?" Dean asked her.

She looked at him. "I don't eat," she said shortly.

"I know, but..." Dean didn't know what to say to that. She was right, but he hated seeing her so edgy. He was edgy, too; that was why he couldn't just sit around here. But Gail was the only one of the four who didn't have the potential distraction of eating available to her.

"Do you want me to wait here with you?" Dean offered. "I'm not really hungry, anyway. I just needed something to do." But then, Gail heard Dean's stomach rumble, and they both laughed.

"Liar," Gail said good-naturedly. "Go. I'll stay here. I just don't want to have to sit around with Rowena any longer than I have to. I know she hasn't forgotten that I'm the one who killed her in the first place. I'm still not even sure that this alleged cure of hers is one hundred percent legitimate. So you might as well go eat something."

He gave her a hug, and Gail smiled, appreciating the comfort. But as Dean left and walked back down the corridor, Gail began to hear Cas's voice in her head. He was pleading with her, telling her that the potion was making him feel strange. Could she please come and see him? He was chained to a chair; he couldn't harm her, even if he wanted to. But he didn't want to harm her, he just wanted to look at her, and to talk to her. Please.

Gail walked quietly down the corridor to the room outside the place where Cas was. But then it occurred to her: she couldn't even get in. Dean had changed the code on the keypad a while back, and he hadn't trusted her enough to give it to her. Not that she could blame him. She had already freed Cas from that room once. But she didn't want to free him now, she just wanted to talk to him, to find out if the potion they'd given him was having any effect. He'd said he felt "strange"; she hoped that was a good sign.

"Cas?" she called out at the door.

"Gail, I need you," she heard him say from the other side of the door.

"I can't get in," she told him. "I don't have the code."

"I do," he said, and he gave her the 4-digit code. The brothers were constantly underestimating him, Cas thought with a smile. They'd thought he wasn't looking when they'd hauled him in there, but he was more observant than they gave him credit for. Sam wasn't the only smart one in the bunker.

Sure enough, the door opened, and Gail rushed through it. Cas smiled when he saw her, and his smile widened when he saw that she was alone. Good.

She approached the chair, walking into the Devil's Trap that was painted on the floor, her eyes searching his face. But then Gail realized something. She had stood here earlier, practically sitting in Cas's lap, and poured the potion into his mouth. And then she had walked out of the room with the others, not even realizing that she had just walked out of a Devil's Trap of her own accord. The potion was working! She stepped out of the Trap now, then back in, then out, then in.

Gail looked at Cas excitedly. "Did you see that?"

Cas smiled. "Yes, I did." But his heart sank. She had obviously taken some of the potion too, and it seemed to be working on her. But he didn't feel any different. Maybe he was too far gone. But then the Demon took over again. He was the one who had called for Gail to come in here in the first place.

"Come here, Gail, please," he begged her, using the gentle tone he knew Castiel usually favoured. "I just need to be closer to you."

She moved forward, excited now. The potion had clearly worked on him, and he sounded like himself now. His eyes were still purple, but they were light in colour, and the half-hour wasn't up yet.

Gail stood over him now, and the Demon said, "I want to hold you, but I can't get my arms free."

"Dean's got the key to the chains," she reminded him.

"You can pick the lock," he told her. "I can tell you how to do it." Castiel had seen both Sam and Dean pick locks many times. He nodded towards the shelving unit on the far side of the room. He had had time to look around the room, and he thought he could just make out a lockpick sitting there. "Third shelf up, on the left."

Gail walked over there, and she picked up the tool. She thought about it for a minute. He would still be chained to the chair, but if she freed only his arms, she could hug him and he could hug her back. She needed the comfort, and it looked like he did, too. She didn't see the harm in that.

So Gail walked back to the chair and used the lockpick to free his arms. Then she sat on his lap and he wrapped his arms around her. "It shouldn't be long now," she told him, touching his face. "Rowena said it may take a bit longer for you. If we have to, we'll just give you another drink. I want to see those beautiful blue eyes again." She smiled.

He hugged her, laying his head on her shoulder, and she was happy. The potion had to be working. He was obviously relieved about that, as she was.

But the Demon was embracing her that way so she wouldn't see that his eyes had darkened. So, they were going to dose him again. They would have to, if he would let them. He didn't feel a damn thing, and he knew that they would be able to tell. He might have Gail fooled for the moment, but she wouldn't stay fooled for much longer. He had to get out of here.

"My muscles are really cramping up," he told her. "Can you please just loosen the chains a little? Actually, maybe we can find something on those shelves to take them off altogether. I'd like to see if I can cross the Trap, too." He figured that would be a motivating factor for her. He knew he couldn't cross the Trap, though, but at least he would be free to move about, and then maybe he could seduce her into doing more to get them out of here. Demon Cas still felt that if he could give her what she needed, he could charm her into just about anything. It had always worked before.

But then he pushed it too far, as he always did. She had one of Sam's shirts on, and he had been trying not to notice, trying not to care. But the sight of it against her bare skin was starting to make him angry. He began to picture her and Sam going into Sam's room to get the shirt, and Sam being only too glad to help her out of her top so that he could get a good look. Maybe he had even touched her, as Cas was doing right now. Maybe he had tried to put his tongue in her mouth. And maybe Gail had let him.

"Why do you have Sam's shirt on?" he asked her angrily, his grip on her tightening. "What did he do to you while I was in here?"

Gail frowned. She'd been falling for his act, but that was all it had been. Just an act. Her heart sank. She tried to get off his lap, but he held her there.

"Nothing, Cas," she said. "My top was bloody, so he gave me something clean to wear, that's all. Let me up."

He didn't want to let go of her. She would leave him here alone. And then they would be back with a second dose.

"Please don't go, Gail," he begged. This was the Demon talking, but he realized he needed her just as much as the other two did. He needed her to feed on, and to let him feed on her. If she wasn't here, loving and enabling him, did he even really exist at all? If she didn't submit to him in bed, who would? And if he had no one underneath him, how could he be on top? Now he was confused. He knew that Gail loved the other two, and that she hated him. But he loved her, too. He truly did. Yet she wanted nothing to do with him. Maybe it was time for him to just disappear. No one wanted him around, anyway. And this constant fighting with the others was too exhausting.

No. He couldn't do that. He had spent too many years being suppressed. Being repressed. He was still too hungry.

He continued to hold onto her and then he brought his mouth down on hers, prying her lips open with his tongue. One of his hands lifted the shirt she was wearing and he lowered his head, kissing her bare skin.

Gail held his head for a moment, closing her eyes. But then she came to her senses. What was she thinking? Cas was still a Demon, he wasn't cured, and she was in an extremely vulnerable position here. He was trying to open her pants now, and if she let him do that, she was a goner.

She found the strength to push herself away from him, and this time when he cursed her, she slapped him in the face. "I'm sick of you, and if you ever call me that word again, I'm going to take a knife and run it through you myself!" she yelled at him.

Sam and Dean heard Gail yelling, and they ran to the storage room just in time to see Gail slap Cas again.

"And that's for making me believe you," she fumed.

"What's going on?" Dean demanded.

Gail turned her back on Cas and walked over to Dean. "Nothing!" she exclaimed. "Nothing's going on! He's still a lying, manipulating, Demon bastard!" She was angry at the Demon, angry at herself, and angry that the potion hadn't seemed to have had any effect on him at all. She looked at Rowena. "He's still the same."

Rowena frowned. "Well, then, you're just going to have to pour some more down his gullet, aren't you, dearie?" she said sarcastically.

Sam grabbed Rowena by the arm. "This had better not be a trick," he told her.

Rowena looked up at him, angry and amused at the same time. Good Lord, he was a big one. Maybe Gail shouldn't go there, after all; if everything on him was proportional, the wee thing might be taking on more than she could handle. "It's not a trick," she assured Sam, "and if you want to be so free with your hands, I could think of a couple of other places where they could be put to better use."

Sam's hand flew off her arm. She was really starting to piss him off. She had a smug look on her face now. Did she think that anything about this situation was funny?

He glared at Gail. She was really trying his patience now, too. Cas was in this room for a reason, and yet every time they turned their backs, Gail managed to find some way to be alone with him. Wasn't that chunk missing from her neck enough of a warning sign for her?"

Sam grabbed Gail's hand and pulled her out of the room, down the hall, and to the library table. He grabbed the cup and dipped it into the bowl. "Here," he said shortly.

Gail looked up at him, then she took the cup and drank it down. He had been a little blunt about it, but Sam was right. She obviously needed another dose. She had almost set Cas free.

Then she dipped the cup in the bowl and filled it. "Round Two, I guess," she said, then walked back towards the storage room, Sam trailing behind her. Dean had remained there; he'd known what they would have to do next.

Dean locked Cas's arms back up, and then they dosed him again, and again he cursed them out when it was over.

"Shut up!" Gail shouted. "Just shut up and get the hell out of him, already!" She turned and raced out of the room and back to the library table, where she sat down and burst into tears.

The others came out and sat down quietly. Dean let her cry for a couple of minutes; he knew she needed the release. But then he couldn't take it any more. He moved around the table and pulled up a chair next to her.

"Come here," he said, pulling her to him for a hug. Gail clutched at him.

"What if it doesn't work?" she asked Dean.

"It'll work," he said firmly.

"But what if it doesn't?" she persisted. "What if he's too far gone?"

Dean had thought about that too, but he was still in denial about that possibility. "I don't know, Gail," he said uncomfortably.

"Yes, you do," she said. "You'll have to kill him."

"Don't be so dramatic, dear," Rowena said, sitting back in her chair. Maybe Rowena should turn on the waterworks too, see if she could get Dean to hug HER. Rowena had mixed feelings about Gail right now, but she did hate to see her like this. Tears were useless, unless you were using them to manipulate someone, usually a man, into doing something you wanted. What a waste of energy. She had enjoyed seeing Gail smack Castiel across the face far more. That was the kind of spirit that Rowena wanted to see from the girl. Maybe if Rowena played her cards right, she would be able to see Gail do the same thing to her son one happy day.

Now Gail was angry. "You have no idea what I've gone through," she said to the witch. "None. So why don't you just mind your own business? I don't even know why you're still here."

"I'm still here to make sure the cure works, dear," Rowena said, pretending to be offended. "But if you want me to go, just say so." She really had no idea where she was going to go, though. When they did eventually kick her out, Rowena would have to establish a little nest of her own somewhere. Now that she was back, she intended to stick around for quite a while.

Gail rolled her eyes. And what was Rowena going to do if the cure didn't work? Sing? Dance? Juggle, maybe? She turned back to Dean. "Promise me you'll kill him if it doesn't work," she said grimly. "He wouldn't want to live like this."

"It'll work, Gail," Dean said again. He held both of her hands in his, ostensibly to comfort her. But he was really holding her hands so that she couldn't tell that his were shaking.

Another half-hour went by, and Gail did feel a bit different now. She hadn't been all that evil to begin with, she thought wryly, but she felt more like herself again, anyway. "Hold on; I want to try something before we go check on Cas," she told the others. She reached out and grabbed Sam's cell phone from the table. "Just in case," she smiled, and put it in her pocket.

Then she disappeared from the bunker and a moment later, she was in Heaven's library. Chuck leaped up from his chair. "Gail!" he exclaimed.

Her face broke into a wide smile. She could ascend again! The cure must be legitimate; Cas had probably just needed more, and more time, because he'd been in a lot worse shape.

"Hi, Chuck," she said. "What's new?" He rushed over to her for a hug.

"How are you?" Chuck asked her. "How's Cas?"

"That's what I'm about to find out," she told him. "I can't stay, and we'll talk more later. But it's so good to see you, Chuck. And it's so good to see you HERE."

But before he could ask her what she meant by that, Gail had disappeared.

She reappeared outside the bunker. Her final test. An instant later, she was back in her seat at the library table, grinning widely. "I did it, guys!" she said happily. "I went to Heaven, and I got back in here by myself!" She jumped up from her chair. "Let's go see Cas."

They went to the room where Cas was being held, and Gail was studying his face again. "How do you feel?" she asked him.

"I don't know," he told her. "Sad. Mad. Confused." He sighed. "Tired." But his eyes were still purple.

He'd been sitting here thinking since receiving the second dose, and then an overwhelming feeling of depression had come down on him. What was the point of the stupid cure, anyway? Things were never going to be the same again, not like they used to be. Gail was the angriest he'd ever seen her, and she had hit him and called him a bastard. He had surely deserved that, and much more, but how could they just resume their relationship if that was the way she truly felt about him now? Every time he reached for her, he would see the hurt and suspicion in her eyes.

But the Demon was still in him, clinging stubbornly to life. And the Demon was angry. Who the hell did she think she was? As if she was so pure. Look at all the things they had done together. The things she had let him do to her. If he had wallowed, then so had she. She had been reluctant to lay on her stomach for him at first, but later she had done so willingly, and she had liked it. She had left him when he had first taken the blade to her and tasted her blood, but later she had handed him a razor blade and had cried out numerous times when he had used both it and his tongue on her. And he still wanted to do those things. But he was no longer sure that she did. She had looked at him with such contempt, and she had hit him. He might have found that exciting if they had been in the bedroom, but he might have also gotten very angry if she had continued to resist him, and he might have hurt her very badly.

And this was where the confusion came in. Cas didn't want to hurt Gail; he had never wanted to hurt her in any way. Not even the Demon had wanted to hurt her initially, yet he had kept on doing it, even when she was being compliant. Where had all of that come from? Poisoned blood or not, was he really that much of a monster? Or had he just been trying to sabotage the best relationship he would ever have, because he hated himself that much?

When he'd told her he was tired, Cas had been telling the truth. He was tired of the merry-go-round, tired of the violence and the lies, and of feeling bad all the time. The only good feelings he had had since this whole thing began were the ones he had in bed with Gail. Was it any wonder, then, that he never wanted to leave the bedroom? That was the only place he'd felt like he was worth anything.

The Demon was in the process of dying now. The potion was killing it, and both Cas and Castiel were busy stomping out whatever embers remained. The two of them weren't worried about co-existing with each other; they'd pretty much been doing that ever since Castiel had met the Winchesters. And now they had even more motivation to continue doing that. Cas loved the physical aspect of his and Gail's relationship, and he wanted to hang onto it going forward, if he could. And now that Castiel had experienced it with her also, he was on board with that. As long as it was not violent or rough in any way, he thought it was a lovely and intimate way of expressing his love for her. It wasn't as if they hadn't been physically affectionate with each other many times before. Castiel found hand-holding and cuddling to be very intimate, and they had been doing both of those things as Angels for quite a while. Then Las Vegas had happened, and when Cas had discovered that kind of love, he hadn't wanted to give it up again. Once the Demon was officially gone, he was hoping he and Gail could resume being intimate.

Or, at least, he HAD been hoping. But as he looked at her face now, Cas's heart sank. Then he looked at Sam and Dean. They were all looking at him with resentment in their eyes. Not that he could blame them. But he needed to show them that he was nearly himself again, and he needed to make sure of that himself.

"Please fill the cup again, Gail," he said to her, and then Cas gave her a weak smile. "And then get some for yourself, too. You and I can drink a toast, to the Death of a Demon."

She smiled briefly, then left the room. A moment later, she came back with the bowl, and two cups. She dipped one of the cups into the bowl and filled it, and she and Sam and Dean repeated the previous procedure to administer it to Cas. But this time he did not struggle, and he swallowed the liquid immediately. Gail was heartened upon seeing that, but she still didn't entirely trust him. How could she?

But she thought it might not be a bad idea to take another dose, too, so she filled the cup again and drank it down herself. She looked down at the bowl. Its contents were getting depleted, but she thought that there might be enough for another cup or two, if need be.

Cas looked at the bowl, but he couldn't quite see into it. "Is there any more?" he asked her.

Now she had to smile. He sounded like the orphan boy in that movie who hadn't gotten enough to eat.

"There's at least one cupful, maybe two," she told him.

"Well, let's have it, then," he said. Then he looked up at Sam and Dean. "There's no need to do that any more. I want it. In fact, if you free my arms, I'll drink the bowl down."

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. Should they?

But Gail said, "No. Don't do it. He's trying to trick you."

Cas looked at her sadly. Well, he'd brought that on himself, hadn't he? But he had been right. She no longer trusted him. He sighed. His stomach hurt, but whether that was from his heartache or from the fact that he had ingested enough potion to choke Lucifer himself, Cas wasn't sure. He put his head back and waited for her to pour it in. Sam and Dean got into position, and they repeated the process, again and again, until the bowl was empty.

"We'll be back in an hour," Gail said, then turned on her heel and left the room. If she had to look at those sad eyes one more minute, she was going to throw up. And why was she going to throw up? Because those sad eyes were still purple.

Gail was angry now. She could walk out of a Devil's Trap and ascend to Heaven now, but Cas's eyes were still purple, and he couldn't be trusted. They had given him every last drop they had of the antidote now. If they went back in there in an hour and he wasn't cured then, Gail was going to kill Rowena again, just on general principles. Then she herself would shoulder the responsibility of killing Cas. She couldn't ask Dean or even Sam to do it; that wouldn't be fair to them. And she felt like she could actually do it if she looked into his eyes and still saw the purple. To think, she had once liked that colour. Now she was so sick of it. All she would have to do to work up the motivation was to remember every time he had ever been rough with her, or cruel to her, or had called her those filthy names and sounded like he meant it. It would be a mercy killing, anyway. She knew he didn't want to live like that, and the Demon was a danger to Gail and to everyone they loved. It couldn't be allowed to live.

Was she really thinking seriously about killing the love of her life? Yes, she was. Because if the cure hadn't worked, he was no longer the man she loved. He would just be a Demon, in a beautiful meat suit.

When the hour was up, they all went back to see. Rowena was nervous now, although she would never show it to them, of course. She knew that she had mixed the antidote correctly, and she was puzzled as to why Castiel didn't seem to be responding. Did he actually WANT to be a Demon? She had sat there for the better part of an hour, enduring Gail's silent glares of accusation. Rowena had played it straight this time, and she had done the Angels an enormous favour. But now Gail was looking at her as though she was mentally gathering the wood to burn Rowena at the stake.

Castiel's head was down when they entered the room, and Gail's heart was hammering in her chest. She wanted to ask him to look at her, but she was afraid of what she might see.

He raised his head slowly, and tears were streaming down his face. And the eyes they were issuing from were blue.

"Thank God," Dean breathed. He took the key out of his pants pocket and walked slowly towards Cas. He couldn't walk quickly; he felt as if his legs were going to buckle underneath him. He had been just as worried as Gail that Cas had been too far gone to be cured.

Gail put her hand on Dean's arm. "Wait a minute," she said to him. Dean looked at her, and she gazed back at him with an unreadable expression.

"I need to make sure," she told him. She'd seen that Cas's eyes were blue, of course, but she had fallen for his lies and his promises too many times.

She walked up to Cas and examined his face closely. The eyes were blue, all right; not a speck of purple to be seen. His tears were still flowing as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Gail," he said in an anguished voice. "I'm sorry for everything I've done. I'm sorry for everything I was." He dropped his head again, and his voice was quiet. "I'm sorry for everything I am."

She continued to look at him. If this was another act, she had to admit it was a good one. But she'd been burned too many times, and her heart was hardened now. She tilted his face up so he would look at her again.

"This had better not be an act," she said sharply, and he shook his head slowly. "It's not," Cas said. "It's me. The Demon is dead, Gail. Thank God. It's me, Gail, I swear it."

Gail moved away from him then, and she gestured to Dean and Sam. "Okay. But, be careful," she said.

They released Cas, and he stood up slowly, stretching his aching muscles. Then he stepped away from the chair and came to where Gail stood, crossing the Devil's Trap in the process.

Check, Gail thought. But she wasn't ready to go all in just yet.

Cas reached out for her hand, but she said, "Do me a favour. Go see Bobby for a minute."

He was puzzled for a moment, but then he realized. She wanted to see if he could ascend. Actually, so did he. He felt like himself, so he was sure that he could now. But it had been ages since Castiel had been able to show his face in Heaven, and he was eager to demonstrate to Bobby that he was cured, as well. Bobby was another individual that Cas would have to work hard to mend fences with. He knew how angry Bobby had been with him throughout this whole thing.

"Okay," Cas said. "I'll be right back." He walked out of the room out into the hallway, then winked out of the bunker.

Gail looked at Rowena. The witch had a smug look on her face. "I told you it would work, my dear," Rowena said to her. "Aren't you Angels always preaching patience?"

"Well, I'm not the most patient person in the world, and I haven't been an Angel for quite a while now, not until just recently," Gail retorted. "But, if it truly did work, I guess I owe you a thank you. So, thanks."

Rowena gave her a thin smile. Not exactly effusive, but she guessed that was all that she could expect. Still, Rowena now had her life back, and Gail had her Angel back. That was what was known as a win-win situation. Though Rowena still thought that the Demon had been far sexier.

"Well, I'll be on my merry way, then," Rowena said to them. Now that she had had the professional satisfaction of seeing her potion work so effectively, she needed to get out of here. She didn't want the wheels to start spinning in their heads. They might come up with the logical conclusion that, as Rowena was no longer useful to them, they could just kill her again.

Truthfully, that thought had already occurred to Gail, and she figured it had probably occurred to Sam and Dean, too. But she supposed she should give Rowena a pass this time. If Cas was truly cured, Crowley's mother had indeed done them a huge favour. Gail knew she had only done it to get her life back, but still...maybe Gail could get her own life back now, too. It would take some doing, though. Her emotions were still very mixed, and Gail was sure there would be plenty of fallout in her and Cas's future.

"Goodbye, boys," Rowena said, sounding eerily like her son for a moment. Then she turned around and sauntered out of the room.

Sam and Dean took a step forward, but Gail put a hand on both of their arms to stop them. "I know, guys. But I think we kind of owe her one," she told them. "This time, anyway." She smiled thinly.

"How are you feeling, Gail?" Sam asked her, putting his hands gently on her shoulders.

"I'm OK, Sam," she replied. "I feel OK." And she did, generally speaking. But she still wondered about Cas.

Castiel appeared in the reception area outside Bobby's office. Laurel stood from her desk immediately and came over to greet him.

"Castiel!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in ages! How are you?"

He was smiling widely. "I'm great, Laurel. Really good. Can I see Bobby for a minute, please?"

"Sure. Go right on in," she said happily.

He opened the door to Bobby's office and peeked in. "Surprise," Cas said softly.

Bobby stood abruptly. "Holy...Cas?" he asked hesitantly.

Castiel came all the way in, closing the door behind him. "Yes, it's me, Bobby. I'm cured."

Bobby eyed him for a moment. Cas looked like himself again. His eyes were the shade of blue Bobby was used to seeing, and they were shining.

Cas approached the desk slowly. "Bobby, I..." A lump was forming in his throat. He tried again. "I'm so very sorry, for everything." That was all Cas could say. He felt like he might start crying again, and he knew that would make Bobby uncomfortable.

Bobby came around the desk, continuing to peer at Castiel's face. Like Gail, he just wanted to be sure.

"I know I have a lot to make up for," Cas told him. "I was hoping you could help me in that regard."

Bobby relaxed a bit. This sounded like Cas, all right. "Where's Gail?" he asked Castiel. "Is she OK?"

Cas frowned. "Yes, she's fine, too. No thanks to me, of course. Bobby, please. I'll need your help. I've been so horrible to her. I don't know how I'm ever going to make it up to her. Or to Dean, and Sam." Tears were forming in his eyes again; he couldn't help it.

Bobby was convinced now. This was Cas, all right. But he sighed. He was glad beyond measure that Cas was cured, but there were going to be a lot of residual feelings to be dealt with, and all of their group were going to be feeling them. Bobby had a few, himself. He didn't know how he could help Cas with that. Cas had burned a lot of bridges with his behaviour; hopefully, they could be rebuilt.

"It's gonna take some time, Cas," he said, putting his hand on Cas's shoulder. The poor guy looked like he was going to break down any minute. Bobby had been mighty pissed off at Demon Cas, but now that his Angel friend was himself again, Bobby supposed he could give him a bit of comfort. He was going to be in for a lot of grief in the coming weeks from the others, Bobby was sure. He guessed he could be the bigger man here. Bobby was God; compassion and forgiveness were in the job description. But Bobby wasn't sure how Sam and Dean would feel about that subject. And how about Gail? Cas had victimized her worst of all.

"I'd better get back to the bunker," Cas told Bobby now. "Gail proposed this as a test. Now that I can ascend again, you'll probably be seeing a lot more of us. And if you need anything done, anything at all, please just ask. I have a lot of atoning to do."

"OK, Cas," Bobby said to him. Then Bobby said, "And, Cas?" He put out his hand for Cas to shake. "It's good to have you back."

There was that lump again. Cas took Bobby's hand and they shook. Once again, Castiel realized that their Father had chosen the best God He possibly could have. Bobby was a good man, a much better man than Cas could ever be.

"Thank you, Bobby," he said. Cas tried to smile. "I hope Gail and Dean and Sam will feel the same way."

So did Bobby. Cas might have to sleep on the couch for the next few years, though. He could just imagine the kind of PTSD Gail would be experiencing for the forseeable future. Bobby made a mental note to have a talk with her about it. Now that Gail was apparently back to normal too, perhaps she would be more receptive. Due to his upbringing, Bobby had had a lot of experience with those kinds of issues. Unfortunately.

But he could see that Cas was anxious to get back to Gail and the Winchesters now, and Bobby could wait. "I'll call you later," he said to Cas.

Cas brightened. "Sure, Bobby." Then he gave Bobby another thin smile. "Can you call me on Angel Radio? Believe it or not, I've missed that."

Bobby's beard twitched. "You might not miss it so much if you were me. I'm thinking about getting Voice Mail." But they both knew that Cas was talking about having missed much more than that form of communication. He thanked Bobby once again, then he winked back to the bunker.

Cas kept stealing glances at Gail.

The four of them were sitting around the library table in their usual chairs. Rowena was gone now; presumably, she had simply walked up the stairs and used the door to exit the place. But that was OK with everyone; they knew she couldn't come back inside now without receiving an invitation, due to the protections placed on the bunker. Just like her son. And just like Cas and Gail, recently.

Dean was over the moon. He was ecstatic to have his best friend back. Dean had been so angry at Cas when he'd been a Demon, but now that Cas was back to Angel status, Dean was willing to let bygones be bygones. Dean had been a Demon himself when he'd had that damn Mark of Cain on his arm, and the others had forgiven him for that, so it was only fair that he do the same for Cas, he figured. And if some of the mental images were to stick in his head for a while when he laid down to go to sleep, well, that was what booze was for.

And, speaking of which: "We have to have a party," Dean said to them. "It's been a while since we've had anything to celebrate."

"Maybe hold off on that for a while," Cas said.

Dean was surprised. "Why?"

Cas looked at Sam, then he looked at Gail again. They were both frowning. "I just don't know if everyone's in a party mood," he said to Dean.

Now it was Dean's turn to frown. He looked at Sam. "What's the matter?" he said to his brother. "You look like you just swallowed a lemon, or something."

Sam was fuming. "So we're just supposed to forget about everything he did?" He gestured to Cas angrily. "Act like nothing happened?"

"No, but..." Dean started to say, but Sam cut him off. "But what, Dean? What are you saying?"

"I'm saying he's our friend, Sammy. No; he's our family."

"Maybe he's your family. He's not mine," Sam retorted. "Not any more."

Gail felt miserable. She had known that this was going to happen. And, truthfully, she could understand. She felt the same way, in a way. So much that was negative had happened between them. She believed that Cas was cured now, as she herself was, but Dean seemed to think that it was so easy to just take everything that had happened, lock it away somewhere, and throw away the key. Well, she didn't know if she could do that. Every time she felt Cas's eyes on her, she had to check to make sure they weren't purple. When he had gotten back from Heaven, Cas had approached her, extending his hand to touch her neck, and she had shrunk back from him. He had looked surprised and hurt, saying he'd just wanted to heal her wound. So she'd stood still as he gently removed the dressing and healed the bite mark. The one his own teeth had inflicted just hours ago. Gail was relieved to have it gone and she was happy to be rid of the pain, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to thank him. And she felt angry that he'd looked at her that way. What did he expect?

Cas didn't expect anything, but he had been so hoping that she could find it in her heart to forgive him, just once more. He could see that she was troubled still, and what Sam had said had hurt Cas a great deal. Maybe Sam just needed a bit more time. Cas and Dean had always been more close, and Dean did have the experience of having been a Demon himself. Cas supposed it was a lot harder to judge others when you yourself had been in the same position. Castiel wondered how that viewpoint might affect himself going forward in his own dealings with Crowley and his Demon minions. Would he be tempted to be more lenient, because of the fact that he now understood what it felt like to be dark? Or would he come down on them even harder, because he now realized how abhorrent they really were?

But that was a thought for another day, and frankly, so was how Sam felt about him. His priority now was Gail. He had to talk to her alone, to find out how she really felt about him now and where they went from here. He looked at her sad expression and sighed. If anywhere. He turned to her.

"May I talk to you alone?" Castiel asked her.

Gail looked at him. She figured they needed to talk, too. The trouble was, she had no idea what to say. "All right, Cas. Do you want to go into the kitchen?"

Cas frowned. "I was thinking we could go to the house."

Gail sighed. She could see Sam staring daggers at Cas. That probably would be best. Cas probably just wanted to deal with one problem at a time. And there was no reason for her to fear being alone with him any more, was there? "OK, Cas," she said. "I guess that would be all right."

Sam looked alarmed, and he opened his mouth as if he were going to protest. But then he shut it again. On what basis? Cas was cured now. If Gail was willing to be alone with him, what could Sam possibly say about it? But he could see how unhappy she looked; maybe she had finally had enough. In any event, Sam didn't own her. She would have to decide if she was willing to just overlook everything Cas had done to her.

Cas stood and extended his hand to Gail, and she looked at it for a moment, then looked at his face. His heart sank. She had never done that before, not unless she had been really angry at him. But he would take anything and everything she had to dish out. He deserved it, and at least then, they would be communicating. She hadn't said a word to him since they'd sat down at the table.

"We'll call you soon," Cas said to Dean. He risked one more look at Sam, but Sam was looking at Gail, a concerned expression on his face. Cas felt a momentary flash of anger. What did Sam think was going to happen? Cas was cured now, and he loved Gail more than anything or anyone. All that was going to happen now was him getting down on his knees and begging for her forgiveness. But, with all that he had done, Cas knew he had no right to be angry. And he'd better not feel any jealousy, either. Most of that had just been the infection in his blood talking. Not all of it, but most. Cas wasn't stupid, and he wasn't blind, either. It was a good thing that Sam had never played poker with Cas; Cas would have taken him for every last dime. All you had to do was look at Sam's face to see the way he felt about Gail.

Well, Dean could talk to Sam; Cas needed to talk to Gail, and he needed to do it now.

Cas and Gail sat down on the couch, and she was still not looking at him. She was staring down at the floor, at the walls, everywhere but at him. It was driving Cas nuts. He wished she would look into his eyes and yell at him for about an hour, maybe even slap him again. At least then she'd be letting him know how she really felt.

"Gail, won't you please at least look at me?" he pleaded.

She did glance at him then. "It's hard to look at you," she said. "You still have my..." She faltered.

"What?" he asked her softly. "I still have your...what?"

"You still have my blood on your face, and on your shirt," she said miserably.

His eyes widened. My God. Why hadn't anyone told him? Cas had been so excited to have been cured that it hadn't even occurred to him to clean himself up. He was horrified. No wonder she couldn't look at him.

"I'll shower and change immediately," he told her, jumping up from the couch. Then he looked down at her. "Will you be here when I get back?"

She sighed, still not looking at him. "Yes," she said simply.

He hurried up the stairs, and Gail shrugged. So he was going to clean up his appearance. Great. But could he bring the soap down with him and wash all of the bad memories away from her mind? Actually, he probably could; didn't he still have the "two-finger" system at his disposal? Maybe she should just ask him to touch her forehead and wipe everything out. Then maybe she would be able to love him with all her heart again, without any fear or suspicion. But she didn't want him to do that. Gail still remembered how weird she had felt when he had done that to her, back when this whole thing had begun. How would you know then what was real, and what wasn't?

She looked around the living room. Memories were a tricky thing, weren't they? She remembered being so touched and so happy when he'd brought her here for the first time. They were to have a real home together, and she'd had visions of their friends and family dropping by, filling the house with laughter and hugs. But it hadn't turned out that way at all, had it? It had become a dark place, full of secrets and lies. Cas had injected her with his own poisoned blood on this very couch, and he had also held her down and cut her with his blade here. Gail could hear the shower going, and she thought about all the blood that had been washed down that drain, and all the times she had limped in there, trying to clean herself up from what he had done to her the night before. And when she went upstairs, the hits would just keep on coming. Christmas Eve. The time he had threatened to kill himself, forcing her to stay just when she'd screwed up the courage to leave.

He came back downstairs, looking amazing and smelling clean, and Gail found herself staring at him now. His eyes were still blue. She still half-expected them to change back to purple every time she looked. It was irrational, perhaps, but it was how she felt. Intellectually, she knew he was cured; but emotionally, it was quite a different matter.

Cas sat next to her on the couch. He was encouraged to see that she was looking at him now, but her silence and the expression on her face worried him.

"Can you please tell me what you're thinking?" he asked her. "How you're feeling?"

How could she? Was she really supposed to tell him that she kept expecting him to reach out and grab her, adding more painful bruises to her arm? Maybe he would push her down on the couch and bite her again as she yelled in pain, her cries muffled by the couch cushions. Had she really enjoyed laying on her stomach for him, or had that just been her Demon, responding to his? Had she really handed him a razor blade and told him he could use it on her? How much of that had been the disease, and how much of it had been Gail herself? And of course, that same question applied to Cas, didn't it?

"The scariest Demons are the ones who live inside our heads," she said in answer to his question.

Because he was Castiel again, he understood her enigmatic way of answering. And she was right. Even though he was fully himself again, that didn't mean that all of Cas's Demons were gone. He still felt jealousy towards Sam, and he hadn't even allowed himself to think about Crowley yet. And the self-loathing Cas felt now was beyond even trying to measure. The cure had been effective, but it had not been a magical elixir designed to fix everything that was wrong with him. The potion had put him in the position to reclaim his life, but did he now even have a life to reclaim?

"Yes, that's true," he said to Gail, nodding at the validity of her statement. "And our minds can play tricks on ourselves at times. Sometimes we see what we fear, and other times, we see what we prefer to believe is true, rather than what is really true."

She looked at him, puzzled. This was Castiel, all right, and this was how he sometimes spoke. She knew he was getting at something, so she waited for him to continue.

"There are many things I have to do to atone for what I've done, or at least, to try to," Castiel said with a wry smile, "but I need to start with a couple of memories of yours that I modified, that first day that we went to see Bobby."

Gail knew which day he was talking about. Funny, she'd been thinking along those same lines. The day he'd used the two-finger system to show her a hypothetical scenario where they'd gone back to the bunker. Everyone had seemed to blame her for what Cas had become, and Cas had ended up killing Frank.

Then, the second hypothetical scenario, where she had offered up her arm for him to inject for the very first time. He had told her the second vision was designed to show her how good it could be between them if she shared his blood. He had told her he'd injected her already, just to gauge her reaction. But he actually hadn't. He'd given her the choice, and she had chosen to let him do it, because she had thought at the time that she would rather be with him, even with his diseased blood, than to be without him. She loved him that much.

But there was only one problem with both of those scenarios: they had been a lie. And as part of his road back, he had to show her the way it had really been.

"I need to show you the truth," Cas told her. "Will you please let me touch your forehead?"

Gail frowned. Hadn't her mind been messed with enough?

"It will help you," he said softly. "I allowed you to feel badly about yourself to make you compliant. I need to show you the way it really was. Please."

Gail sighed. "All right, Cas," she said.

He touched his fingers to her forehead, and suddenly they were back in Heaven, having that first contentious meeting with Bobby. Then they were back at the house, and Gail had been pleasuring Cas with her mouth when Dean had called. But she had stopped immediately when Dean and Cas were talking. It wouldn't be right to continue under those circumstances; what they did alone in the bedroom was private, and not for others' eyes or ears. How disgusting would that have been? But when Cas had hung up the phone after his abbreviated conversation with Dean, he had been angry that she had stopped, and they had fought about it. They had not had sex afterwards; she had still been too angry. And when they had gone to the bunker, Cas had been defiant, not penitent. And Gail had not defended him, nor had she said she liked the way he was. That had just been wishful thinking on Cas's part. And no one had told Gail they were ashamed of her, especially not Frank. That had all been in her head. Cas HAD killed Frank in that vision, not because Frank had insulted Gail, but just because Cas had felt like doing it.

"Even while you were having that vision, I was altering it to suit me better," Cas told her sadly. "I wanted you to feel like it was just you and me, against the world, which was the way I was feeling at the time. And I wanted you to feel as badly about yourself as I did about myself, so that you would let me debase you, and devalue you. So that you would submit to me." Cas winced as he spoke these words. It was hurting him so much to say this to her, but he needed to come clean in conscience, the same way that he had just cleaned his body and changed into clean clothes.

Gail was astonished. But she was glad that she had stood up to Cas more than she thought she had, even if it was only in a vision. She hadn't had any of his blood in her yet at that point, and it wasn't in her nature to be so submissive. And it was good to know that Frank and Dean and Sam hadn't been disgusted with her; they'd been disgusted with Cas. She could see why Demon Cas had wanted her to feel that way about herself, though. It would make it easier to subjugate her if she gave up on herself, wouldn't it?

Now she really wanted to see the second vision, or at least, the true version of it, and she told Cas this. Cas sighed, and his hand shook as he went to touch her forehead. She thought that he had been horrible to her? She had no idea.

Back she went, into the second vision. Cas was making his case, trying to convince her to let him inject her with his poisoned blood for the first time. But she had not acquiesced. She had refused, and they had fought again. Then he had overpowered her, and the needle had been in her arm before she could think to pop out of the house. She had frozen in shock as he had depressed the plunger. How could he have done that to her? He was supposed to love her and protect her. Then, when she had been laying there in shock, he had entered her, and the cries of pleasure that Cas had manufactured in his mind had actually been her crying for him to stop, and asking him how he could be so cruel. But by then, the damage had been done, and Gail's mind had become poisoned with depravity too, enough to enjoy many of their subsequent encounters, violent or not.

When Cas took his hand away from her forehead this time, he was crying again. He had no idea how he could ever have done that to her. But it was her right to know the truth. He had been the depraved one in the relationship, not her. And she hadn't been the meek victim she'd thought she was. Bobby, Dean, and especially Sam had all wondered how she could stay with him, allowing him to put his poison in her. Well, she hadn't allowed it, had she? He had forced himself into her, both literally and figuratively, and she couldn't blame herself for anything that had subsequently happened between them.

Gail was absolutely stunned now. She knew that he'd been horrible to her many times throughout that whole ordeal, but she had also taken ownership of many of those things herself, realizing that she had allowed them to happen by having invited him to give her the injection in the first place. This changed everything.

Cas was crying, but Gail was angry now. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?" she asked him sharply. He wiped his tears away with the backs of his hands. He wished he could take her hands in his, but he knew that would be impossible now, and he didn't have any right to even hope to do so. But he did have one more thing to reveal, and he'd better get to it while she was still listening.

"Just one more thing," Cas told her in an anguished voice. "When you suffered the bite on your neck earlier today, you thought it was the Demon who did that. But it wasn't. It was me."

Her jaw dropped open. What? She was afraid now. What was he trying to tell her? That HE had wanted to do that, not the Demon? She asked him the question, bracing herself for the answer.

Cas panicked. She had misunderstood. "No, Gail!" he exclaimed. "I didn't do that because I wanted to! I did it to protect you! The Demon had been about to persuade you to leave, without the cure. I couldn't allow that to happen. So I did that on purpose, to prevent him from getting you to go with him. I know I hurt you, and I'm so sorry, but I was desperate. He would have hurt you much, much worse. Maybe even..." He couldn't say it.

Wow. Well, she supposed that was one point in his favour, anyway. But compared to what he had just shown her, one measly point was nothing. How could she live here with him now? Did he really expect her to lay in that bed with him and...What? Now that they were Angels again, was sex even on the table any more? And did she really care at this point? Did she really want to hear him cry out in pleasure there, where he had made her cry out in pain so many times? Or they could just cuddle, if she didn't have to worry that his hands would suddenly and painfully clamp down on her.

"I can't do this," she said, standing abruptly. He stood with her. "You can't do what?" he asked.

"I can't stay here," she told him. "This house has too many bad memories. I can't look around anywhere in it without thinking of something bad." Now she started to cry. "I wanted to have Christmas here. I wanted to have a tree, and presents, and..."

"I understand," Cas said quietly. "I would have liked that, too." His stomach hurt. How could he have even thought that she could live here? The house was cursed now. Maybe it was his punishment for having selfishly set them up so nicely, that day that he had been God. There were so many things he should have done that day to help people, and heal them, and comfort them, and what had he done? Spent much of that day making himself happy. Was it any wonder that his Father was seeing fit to take everything away from Castiel now?

But Cas needed to try to salvage his relationship with Gail somehow. He didn't care where they lived; it could be in a cardboard box, for all he cared. If she would only stay with him, he would try to rebuild his life. She was the foundation of his existence now, and his love for her was the only thing that he had that was worth anything to him at the moment.

"How about if we go to Vancouver for a while?" he asked her. "Maybe we can get our old jobs back. Anything you want. And then we can talk some more, and take walks, and...I need to show you that I'm OK now. I'll do anything I can to prove to you that you're the most important person in the world to me."

Gail thought about that. Could that be the answer? But the venue wasn't the issue; it was how she felt that was the problem. When he had been crying, her first impulse had still been to reach out and take him in her arms, maybe even touch his face. But where was HER comfort? Why should she feel sorry for him, crying over what he had done? He SHOULD be crying! He should feel terrible, every day, all the time. It was only fair. That's how she was going to feel from now on.

"You don't get it, Cas. I can't live anywhere with you right now. I have a lot of stuff to work through, and I can't do that with you looking at me like that all the time," she told him.

"Looking at you like what?" he asked her.

"Like you just lost your best friend," she replied.

"Well, I'm about to, aren't I?" he asked softly.

Her heart hurt. "Damn, you're good, aren't you?" she said bitterly. "You always know exactly the right thing to say. Well, you may have been in the back of the class in Enochian, but you were certainly up front in charm school."

Gail marched towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Cas asked her, his pulse speeding up. He was afraid that he already knew.

"To pack," she said shortly, stomping up the stairs. How dare he? How dare he make her feel bad like this?

He hurried up the stairs after her into the bedroom, where she was throwing the last of her clothes into the last suitcase that they had. She didn't know if they would all fit, but it didn't matter. She'd take what she could. Those were the only possessions she had, anyway.

Cas wanted to stop her somehow, but he didn't dare grab her. But he couldn't let her leave like this, either. They needed to talk some more.

"Please don't go, Gail. I'm not trying to charm you. I'm not trying to get you to do anything except talk to me," he pleaded.

She continued to throw her clothes into the suitcase, then she stopped, wheeling on him. "You want me to talk? Fine! How could you do that to me, Cas? You always claimed you loved me. Well, I put everything I had into my relationship with you. Now Frank is gone, Dean and Sam are mad at me, God thinks I'm an idiot, and on top of everything else, now I'm homeless!"

Everything she was saying was true. His stomach clenched again. "We all need to talk," he said to her. "I'm sure that Bobby and Dean and Sam know that everything is my fault. And if they don't, I'll make sure they do. I'll tell them everything. I don't care if they hate me, I just don't want YOU to. I owe you everything. You sacrificed so much to cure me. I can't see you lose anything else."

Gail started to cry again, and she was angry at him for that, too. He was being way too nice, too self-sacrificing, and it was making her sick. Cas was making her feel like she was the bad guy here. But she wasn't; it was him who had been the bad guy.

Still, maybe it wasn't a bad idea for them all to get together and have an open and honest discussion. She had felt a lot better after a similar talk with Chuck. Maybe if they all just got some of the venom out of their systems, they could move past this somehow.

"OK," she said.

Cas brightened. "OK?"

"Yeah," Gail sighed. "Let's talk. Call Bobby, and if he's willing, we'll go back to the bunker."

Cas breathed again. Thank God. He sent out the call to Bobby, then got the message back: Bobby would come, immediately. Bobby had seen this coming, and he was encouraged that it had happened so quickly, and that Cas had been the one to suggest it. They all needed to clear the air.

"Can I give you a hug? Please," Cas asked Gail as she stepped away from the closet.

She had been about to say no, but then she relented. Gail needed the comfort, and even though the comfort would come from the source of her distress, it was better than nothing. And she supposed she still loved him, even though she could barely stand him right now. Did that even make sense?

Gail moved into his open arms and he wrapped them around her, making sure not to squeeze her too hard.

"I love you, Gail," he told her. "And I'll do anything to make this right. Anything."

She laid her head on his shoulder. But, that was just it. What COULD he do? She pulled out of the hug. "I'm afraid for our future," she told him. Might as well start with some honesty right now.

Cas was sad. "I'm trying not to be," he said to her. "I read somewhere that if you live in fear of the future because of what has happened in your past, you'll end up losing what you have in the present."

Gail laughed without humour. "That sounds like one of those Facebook 'insights' that Chuck and I love so much," she said. "Whether I have anything in the present remains to be seen," she added bitterly.

Still, she allowed him to take her hand, and they winked back to the bunker.

Chapter 4 - Elephant

Bobby called Dean, advising him that Cas wanted to bring Gail back for a talk. They all needed to get some things off their chests, and Bobby thought it was a good idea.

Dean shrugged. "Yeah, if you say so, Bobby. Personally, I think I'm OK, but if anyone else wants to talk, it's fine with me."

But Sam snorted derisively. "What good is that going to do?" he said aloud.

"I heard that," Bobby told Dean. "Tell him he might be surprised. I didn't put a lot of stock in that kind of thing before, but when I got back from Lucifer's cage, it actually helped me to talk to the doctor about some stuff while I was in the crazy house. It's amazing what a little unburdening can do for the soul, and I think we all have some unburdening to do. In fact," he said, having a sudden idea, "when they get there, tell them I'll be there in just a minute. I have to pick up something first."

Bobby punched End Call, then opened his mind to do the search.

"Sorry, I hope you don't mind," Cas said to the brothers when he and Gail showed up.

"Nah, we don't mind," Dean said to him. "But since a few of us are getting together, I thought I'd bring out a few supplies, anyway." He gestured to the table. Several of Cas's never-emptying liquor bottles were there, along with five glasses. "I don't care if you two are Angels again, we're gonna have at least one shot together to celebrate."

"Better get another glass," Bobby said, appearing behind Cas and Gail. And he had Frank with him.

Gail gasped, and she ran to Frank, throwing her arms around him. He gave her a hug, looking at Bobby gratefully. Frank had been sitting in a motel room trying to watch TV when Bobby had knocked on the door. Frank had let him in, and Bobby had advised him that Cas and Gail were finally OK again. Well, they were Angels again, at any rate. But they all needed to talk, and Frank was family, too. Bobby knew the whole situation had been hard on Gail's brother, and he probably needed to get some things out. And he and Gail should be reunited now.

Frank was thrilled to see his sister again, and he was happy to hear that she and Cas were back to normal. But as he wrapped his arms around Gail, Frank couldn't help but stare at Cas. Gail's boyfriend had a slight smile on his face as he watched the siblings' reunion, but Frank was frowning. Did Bobby really think it was a good idea for Frank to sit down and tell Cas how he really felt about him? And how would Gail feel if he did? She had been so angry before, every time that Frank had said a word against the guy.

But Frank was here now, and he had been touched when Bobby had said, "You're family; you need to be included in this." Not so long ago, Frank himself had been a Demon, and he had given up all hope. Now God was calling him family, and Sam and Dean greeted him warmly as he approached the table.

"Want a drink, Frank?" Dean said, pouring one for him without waiting for an answer. He and Frank shook, and Dean thrust the glass into Frank's hand. Frank looked at it, then took a gulp. What the hell. If he was expected to sit here and talk about his feelings, he might as well have a couple of belts.

Sam came forward to shake Frank's hand, and Sam also accepted a drink from Dean. The three men clinked glasses. "It's good to see you, Frank," Sam said to Gail's brother.

"It's good to be seen," Frank quipped, clapping Sam on the shoulder.

The three humans sat beside each other on the opposite side of the table as Gail and Cas sat down in their customary chairs across. Bobby sized everyone up. He'd noted that Gail had started to move to sit beside Frank, but then she'd glanced at Cas. If she did that, and Bobby took his usual seat at the end of the table, Cas would be sitting all alone on one side. It would be like they were all ganging up on him. So she had turned back and sat beside Cas as usual, even though it looked to Bobby like she wasn't too happy about it. So Bobby sat to Cas's left, facing the Winchesters and Frank. Three Angels, three humans.

Frank and Sam were openly glaring at Cas, Dean was pouring another shot, and Gail was glancing from one man to the other, and looking lost. Bobby sighed. "Give it here, Dean," he said, gesturing to the bottle. Bobby stood to take it, grabbing two glasses and plunking them in front of Gail and Cas. Then he poured them each a shot. "Doctor's orders," he told them, as they looked up at him. Gail shrugged, then took a sip, making a face. "Do you have any ginger ale, Dean?" she asked, and Frank laughed. "Now I know you're not a Demon any more," he said to her.

Everyone looked at him, shocked. "What?" Frank said. "I thought we were here to talk honestly."

Bobby smiled. He knew he'd brought Frank here for a reason. "That's exactly what we're here to do," he said, nodding his approval at Gail's brother. "Have another snort, Frank. In fact, I'll join you." He waved his hand, and a glass appeared in it. "Sit down, Sam," Bobby said. He'd seen the younger Winchester rising from his chair, and Bobby was God, so he knew exactly what Sam was trying to do. Bobby waved his hand again, and a bottle of ginger ale appeared on the table in front of Gail. "There you go, dear," Bobby said, his beard twitching. "You know these guys never have anything in the fridge."

Gail smiled at him. "Thanks, Bobby," she said, grabbing the bottle and adding some ginger ale to her drink. She took a sip. "Aah, that's the ticket," she said.

"Yeah, well, we drink like men," Dean said, smirking at her. He was already pouring more for Sam and Frank.

"Yes, yes, you're all men, I get it," Gail said, rolling her eyes, Frank and Sam exchanged glances and smiled.

Bobby downed his shot, then cleared his throat. "So, who wants to go first?" he said.

No one spoke, of course. They all just sat there, drinking. Cas sat motionless, looking down at the table. He hadn't touched his drink.

Bobby sighed. Naturally. "OK, I'll go, then," he said. He turned to Cas and Gail. "When I was a young kid, my dad used to beat up my mom," Bobby said bluntly. "When I saw the two of you, I was reminded of that. You were my dad, Cas, and Gail, you were my mom. At least, that's how I saw it."

Cas looked at Bobby, eyes wide. He'd never known that about Bobby. "Is that what you thought?" he asked in a hushed voice. "That I was beating Gail?"

"Was there a difference, Cas?" Bobby said calmly.

Frank slammed his glass down on the table. "What the hell are you talking about, Bobby?" he shouted.

Bobby looked at him. This could be dicey, but it had to be dealt with honestly. "I think you know, Frank," he said grimly.

Frank was seething. He remembered the conversation he and Gail had had over a few shots when they'd both been staying here. That had been the most honest, adult conversation he'd ever had with his sister. He supposed he did know, after all. Gail had been pretty direct that day about the collateral damage she'd received in bed with Cas. Well, Bobby was sure leading by example by bringing that subject up, wasn't he?

"I'm so very, very sorry," Cas said to the room in general. "That wasn't me. That's not what I'm like. I know I hurt Gail, and I'm so ashamed."

Then Dean said a strange thing. He'd already had several shots, and he was feeling them now. "Did she forgive you?"

Frank looked at him, then looked at Gail. He really wanted an answer to that one, too.

Gail looked at them. "No," she said. "No, I didn't." She took another sip of her drink. She was an Angel again, so alcohol shouldn't be affecting her. But this straight talk was contagious. Maybe Bobby was onto something here.

"Are you going to?" Sam said suddenly.

Bobby shook his head. "Straight to the bonus round, eh? Look, I know I said no holds barred, but maybe there are some things that need to be between the two of them."

But Cas was shaking his head, too. "No," he said. He plucked up the courage to look at all of their faces. "What I did affected everyone in this room."

"No argument there," Dean said, going for humour. "I had to soak my hand in ice water the last time I punched you out."

Frank looked at Dean, impressed. Dean had clocked Cas on Gail's behalf? Excellent. He knew he liked Dean for a reason. "Up top," he said to Dean, and the two men high-fived.

But Gail was angry. "Is this funny to you?" she snapped. "My physical and emotional pain is a source of amusement to you guys?"

Dean and Frank looked shamefaced, but when Gail looked Sam's way, the two men exchanged a brief smile. They weren't laughing at Gail's pain, they were laughing at Cas's.

"What about you?" Gail asked Sam. "Do you think it's funny, too?"

Sam frowned. "No, I don't think it's funny. I wanted to kill Cas, but Dean wouldn't let me."

Phew, Bobby thought. But Sam had struck again, and Cas winced as though he had received a physical blow. Maybe Bobby should have sent Sam to the store for snacks, or something. He was taking to this honesty thing a little too well.

Cas was nodding, though. He actually appreciated Sam's brutal honesty. "I understand, Sam. If it had been anyone other than me who was hurting Gail, I would have killed them myself."

Sam leaned back in his chair. Well, at least Cas had said that much. But that didn't mean that he was forgiven.

Cas did take a sip of his drink then, and the face he made was so comical that Frank nearly laughed. Gail did smile, unable to help herself. "Here, try some of this," she said, pouring some ginger ale into his glass. He tried another sip and looked at her gratefully. "That is better," Cas told her. He reached out as if to take her hand, but Gail shook her head. "I'm not ready for that, Cas," she said, turning her head to look at the other men.

Frank was looking at Cas. Yeah, he was definitely Jekyll, now. Cas was looking down at the table again, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears now. Gail's brother was glad Cas wasn't the Demon any more for a multitude of reasons, but he wondered what was going to happen now. There were obviously going to be a lot of repercussions from this. Sam was still looking at Cas with undisguised hatred, and Frank was pretty sure he knew why. He wondered if he should say anything about THAT. How honest did Bobby want them to be here?

But it was Gail who spoke next, and her voice was sharp. "And would you stop looking like that? You're making me nuts!"

Cas looked at her in surprise. "How am I making you nuts?" he asked, puzzled.

"Because now YOU look like the victim, and I'm the mean bitch who won't even hold your hand!" she exclaimed.

He was astonished. "Why would you say that?" he asked her. "You were the victim, Gail, not me. You were MY victim," he corrected himself, "and just because I reach for your hand doesn't mean you have to give it to me. I understand, you need time."

"Yes, I do," she replied. "And I don't want to be a victim. I just want everything back the way it was before."

They were all silent then. So did everyone at the table. But no one could turn back the clock in that manner, not even Bobby.

"What are you going to do now?" Frank asked Gail.

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head slowly. "I haven't got a clue. I need a place to live, first of all."

Sam perked up at that. "What do you mean, Gail?"

"Don't look so happy, Sam," Cas said miserably, but there was a bit of an edge to his voice now. "You heard what she said. She's moving out of the house. In fact, so am I." Cas turned to Bobby and said, "I'm sure you were two steps away from raining down holy fire on the place, anyway. Why don't you just do so? The place is cursed now. I never should have had it to begin with."

"What do you mean, you shouldn't have had it?" Dean asked him. "Why not?"

"Because I was selfish, Dean," Castiel answered. "Because the day I was God, I did things for myself, instead of for others."

Dean was shaking his head now. "So, you made yourself a place to live, so what? You needed one, and Gail needed one. You did a lot of things for other people that day. You set me and Sam up so we wouldn't have to worry about money any more, and Frank, too. And you gave us these, which might be the best thing of all the things you did that day." He picked up one of the bottles and poured another shot, and when he put the bottle back down, the level of the liquid didn't change. Dean never got tired of looking at that. Cas had been right on top of his game that day. As far as Dean was concerned, the miracle of the never-ending booze supply was right up there with the loaves and fishes.

"And you did those good things for Kevin, and Ethan," Gail chimed in. "And you tried to help in Haiti; it just wasn't possible." Here she was, defending him yet again; but this time, she was defending him to himself. She'd had no idea that he felt that way about the house. But now that he was back to being Castiel, she supposed that it made sense. She remembered how sad he had felt when he couldn't stop Death from taking that little girl in Haiti. This was clearly the Angel and the man that she had fallen in love with sitting next to her now. But she was still having a hard time letting the other guy go. She had spent an awful lot of time with that other guy recently, and she still wore his marks on her body. What was wrong with Cas? What was the flaw in his personality that had morphed him into something that could hurt her so badly? And what was the flaw in her personality that had made her allow him to treat her that way? Yes, they had been Demons, and yes, they'd had the blood bond, but there had to be something more to it than that. How easy it would be to just let Cas take her by the hand and go somewhere, have a good cry together, and let him hold her until she said that she was OK? If she were a certain other type of woman, she could get him to do anything now, to make it up to her. Wait on her hand and foot. Pop over to Hawaii and bring her back a pineapple. Get down on his knees and beg her forgiveness, if she told him to. Would he be able to do anything else for her while he was down there, she wondered, or was that now a dead issue, now that they were Angels again?

Bobby looked at Gail sharply. "Sorry, Bobby," she said.

But Bobby shook his head. "No, I'M sorry, Gail. You're entitled to your personal thoughts. I'll shut it off." And he did. It had been driving him crazy, anyway. There were a lot of strong emotions in this room right now, and everyone's thoughts were clamouring for attention in Bobby's head.

Cas was morose, almost suicidal now. He had been hoping against hope that Gail might be able to stay with him while she worked through her feelings, but he could see now that was going to be impossible. He was just going to have to let her sort things out in her own time and in her own way. In the meantime, he would prove himself to her by being a good and decent Angel. She would love him again, in time. She had to. The only things that he needed now were her love and her forgiveness.

Dean was half in the bag already, Bobby realized with some amusement. Dean could hold his liquor, but he was sleep-deprived, and he had been through the wringer emotionally. Dean had carried his cards close to the vest throughout this whole thing, but Bobby knew that Cas had pretty much broken Dean's heart, too. There were some things Cas had done that Dean would never quite be able to get out of his head. Dean couldn't un-see Cas licking Gail's bruise that day, or Cas with her blood on his face, or Gail's marked-up, battered body. It didn't matter how much he drank, those were never going to completely go away. For one crazy moment, Dean had considered just shoving Gail into the passenger seat of the Impala and taking off somewhere with her, leaving Sam behind to kill Cas and then burn the bunker down. It was probably the lack of sleep talking, but that was what he had been thinking of that night when Gail had popped back into the bunker from yet another painful encounter with Demon Cas. And what was really weird was that, for an instant there, Dean's fevered brain had thought that he and Gail should be a couple. Not Cas, not Sam, but him. Cas clearly didn't deserve her, and Sam was too serious. His brother was all dramatic about everything, wanting to kill Cas and grab Gail like some kind of a superhero, or something. Dean just wanted to get in the car with her, play some music, go to a bar and have some laughs. Gail was sassy and she was funny, and she could take it as well as she could dish it out. While everyone else beat on their chests and tore their clothes, Dean could show Gail a really good time. They'd laugh until their stomachs hurt, and then maybe he'd kiss her, just once, just to see what that would be like. Dean looked at Cas now, shaking his head. The guy had blown it, big time. For all Dean's talk about being OK with Cas, Dean was not OK with Cas. Not really; not yet. Like Gail, he needed time.

Frank was all over the map. He'd been debating with himself whether he should say certain things out loud. He was still the outsider in the group, and those other guys went back a long way with Cas. He was glad beyond measure that Gail was going to leave Cas. Frank just thought that Cas was bad for her. Maybe she should just stay here with Sam and Dean for a while. Or better still, maybe she could come back out on the road with him. He'd like to reconnect with her, and he'd been lonely all by himself in those motel rooms all that time.

Before Bobby shut off the flow, he had also picked up on Gail's agitation. She'd thought that this quasi-group therapy session might be a good idea at first, but now Gail was frustrated. She didn't see what good this was doing, for any of them. She was sure that Bobby meant well, but obviously, it wasn't working. She and Cas still felt like crap about themselves, she still felt like crap about Cas, Dean was acting like this was a night out at the bar, Frank looked like he was holding himself back, both physically and verbally, and Sam was looking at her with a peculiar expression on his face. She'd been debating whether she should just pop out of here and finish packing, or just start telling all of them off.

And Sam had been vacillating between being angry at Cas to hopeful that Gail had finally come to her senses. Sure, Cas was an Angel again, but the damage had been done. Dean could just pretend that everything was OK now if he wanted to, but Sam knew otherwise, and he knew that Frank felt the same way. And Gail was saying that she wanted everything back the way that it had been before, but that was impossible, and she clearly knew that, if she was going to be packing her bags.

"I'll get your room ready for you," Sam said to Gail now. "Just give me an hour or so." Sam was thinking that he and Dean could remove the Devil's Trap from the floor, and Sam would put fresh sheets on the bed. There was lots of closet space for her clothes. He was excited about the prospect of having her back here. Sam was sure that Dean would be eager to get back out on the road after being cooped up for so long; Gail could either come with them, or stay behind and make herself at home. He hoped she'd want to come with them, though. Sam kind of hated the idea of her being all alone right now. She would need the support, and she would need the company, and if she needed to talk about anything, Sam could be there for her. And if she were to stay behind, Sam was afraid that Cas would go to work on her, and convince her to come back to him.

"Why don't you come back on the road with me?" Frank said to Gail.

Sam looked at Frank. "She's an Angel, Frank. She's going to want to have a home base, not go running around all over the place." For a smart guy, Sam wasn't being very logical. He had just been thinking Gail could go out on the road with him and Dean, and now he was arguing against her doing the very same thing with her brother.

"Hey, I'm her brother," Frank retorted. "She can be an Angel with me. If Bobby needs her, she can just as easily pop into Heaven from where we are as she can from here."

Gail took another sip of her drink. Give her strength. "You guys need to stop talking about me as if I'm not even in the room," she said irritably. "You do that all the time, and it drives me nuts. It's my life, and it'll be my decision. I am an adult, you know." But even as she was saying this, Gail realized that she had no idea what she wanted to do with herself. She had been tagging along with Frank on the road since she was a child, then she had depended on Sam and Dean for a while, and then she had become an Angel and had gone all in with Cas. What she needed was an identity of her own, and a purpose that existed apart from all the men in her life. Then maybe she could start feeling like she had some worth. If she'd felt better about herself to begin with, maybe Gail could have stood up to Demon Cas sooner. Maybe if she felt better about herself, she could start feeling better about him.

"We know that, Gail," Sam told her, "but let's face it, your decisions haven't always been the best ones."

"Have you never made a mistake, Sam?" she asked him coolly.

"Yeah, I've made mistakes," Sam retorted. "But I've tried to learn from them."

Gail arched an eyebrow at him, but she said nothing more on the subject. They had all made mistakes in the past, and if the three humans were going to criticize her and Cas for making stupid decisions, and vice versa, they'd he here all day. Sam had a bit of a self-righteous attitude now, but he was also right. She needed to learn from her mistakes.

"Don't talk to her that way," Cas piped up. He looked at Sam. "I've known you a long time, Sam, and you're not perfect either. I know I'm the one in the wrong here, but Gail hasn't known you as long as I have, and she needs to know you're not exactly a Saint."

"YOU'RE saying that to ME?" Sam said angrily. "Hey, I know I'm not perfect, but you're so far from perfect it's not even funny!"

"I'm not laughing," Cas retorted. "We all know you're in love with Gail, and that's why you want her to leave me and come here with you."

Total silence in the room. Then Frank took a drink and pounded his glass on the table. Finally. Finally, someone had said it out loud.

"Elephant," Cas said to Sam, and he glanced at Gail. He remembered that was the expression she and her brother had used when they were talking about the proverbial elephant in the room. And Cas's treatment of Gail wasn't the only pachyderm in the vicinity.

Sam sighed. "Okay. All right, Cas. Fine. I admit it. Yeah, I do want Gail to come live here. I'd treat her a lot better than you did, and I would be able to protect her better, too."

"Better than me?" Cas scoffed.

Gail interjected. "You're doing it again! Talking about me as if I wasn't here! I'm not a chew toy to fight over, and I'm not a 'her'. The next guy that talks ABOUT me and not TO me is going to find my foot in his ass."

Silence again, then Dean started to laugh. "That's fantastic," he enthused.

Gail smiled at him. But Cas was frowning. "You're right, Gail. We have to stop doing that. What DO you want to do?"

She sighed. He was going to hate this. "I don't know, Cas. I guess I'll stay here until I can figure it out."

Cas didn't like it, but there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't own her; nor did anyone here. He loved her more than life itself, but he realized that he needed to respect her, as well. He had not been doing that, and now he was paying the price. "Is it all right if I go back to the house with you for a moment?" Cas asked her.

She looked at him, puzzled. "Why would you want to do that? I don't have much to bring, just that bag of clothes. I can just pop over there and pop back again."

Cas's heart sank. Was she that afraid to be alone with him now, even for a couple of minutes? "Please, Gail, can you just humour me for a moment? We can bring someone to the house with us, if you don't feel safe."

But she realized she was being ridiculous. He wasn't a Demon any more, and these guys would all know where they were. She supposed she could give him another couple of minutes of her time. It wasn't as if she had a crowded schedule.

"No, Cas, that's not necessary," Gail sighed. She rose from her chair. "We'll be back in a minute, you guys. Feel free to insult us while we're gone," she added tartly. Then she glanced at Bobby. He gave her a slight nod. He knew where they would be, and since she was back on Angel Radio now, she could call him if she needed him.

Cas took Gail's hand, and they winked over to the house.

"Can I talk to you for just a minute?" Cas asked Gail when they got there.

She had started towards the suitcase to finish putting her clothes in it, but she stopped. "Sure, Cas," she said, turning back around. "What do you want to say to me that you couldn't say in front of the guys?"

"Could you sit down for a moment, please?" he asked her.

Gail sat on the corner of the bed. "What is it, Cas?" she said sadly.

He got down on his knees in front of her. "I need to beg your forgiveness," he said, and he bowed his head.

Gail sat there, looking at the top of his head. How strange it was to be sitting here in this context, when just a short while ago, she would have been naked, opening her legs for him, either willingly, or otherwise. She had to admit that she would miss the intense pleasures he had given her with his tongue, especially the times that she had been an equal partner in the acts they had participated in here. But too often, he had been too rough, and it was those times that she was thinking of now. Still, she had loved him, and she supposed she still did. But she had to be apart from him for a while now, and she couldn't forgive him, not yet.

"Please get up, Cas," she said wearily. "It's going to take a little time. And I need to finish packing now." She got up and walked over to the suitcase, taking a few more items of clothing off hangers and putting them in it.

Cas sighed, and he rose from his knees. He guessed it had been too soon, but he'd had to try. He actually respected her all the more for not letting him off the hook so easily. He would have to earn her love back. At least he had a goal; every existence had to have a purpose, and he had his now.

"Just a minute, Gail. I want to bring you something to pack," Cas said, and he walked out of the bedroom.

Gail had been about to close the suitcase, and her brow furrowed. What could he be bringing her from this place that she could possibly want? She had her cell phone in her pocket, the remainder of her clothes were in the suitcase, and her Angel blade was still in the weapons room at the bunker. That was all she could think of.

Then he came back, holding the three framed photographs of the actors who played Dean, Sam, and Castiel on the TV show Supernatural. He had hung those on the wall over the couch when he had built the house, and Cas was hoping they might still mean something to her.

"I thought you might want these," he said to her. "Maybe you can hang them on the wall in your room at the bunker until..." He'd been about to say until they got back together. But perhaps he'd better not push her right now. Hopefully that would be a decision she would reach on her own, but she should not be pressured. It was going to kill him, but Cas had to let her go for now and hope she found her way back to him of her own accord.

He tried to smile as he extended the photos for her to take. "You can throw away the one of Castiel, if you like. I hear he's a horrible person."

"No, he's not," Gail said, accepting the pictures from him and putting them in the suitcase. Then she looked at him again. She was starting to feel like the bad guy again, and Cas looked like he was going to start crying any minute. "His girlfriend might be a bit of a hardass, though," she quipped.

"His girlfriend is perfect," he responded quickly. "And she's much too good for the likes of him."

"That, like quite a few other things, remains to be seen," Gail said quietly. She bent down and closed the suitcase, then picked it up and extended her hand to Cas out of relex, thinking they were both going back to the bunker.

But Cas was shaking his head. "I'll be glad to take your hand any time, but I'm not coming back with you, Gail," he said soberly. "I'm going to ask Bobby to come here and destroy this house, and then I'm going to go away for a while."

"Where?" she asked him.

"I think I'll go back to Vancouver," Cas answered. "I'll get a new place, one that doesn't have any memories, good or bad. Then I'll go to the studio to see if I can get my old job back. If not, maybe I'll play some poker." He smiled sadly. "That was my best time, Gail. I know we were on the run, but that was still my best time. We were happy there, and I felt like we could have had a life there. Before the tribunal, and all the ugliness that followed. Maybe if I go back and live like that again for a while, I can start to feel a little better about myself again."

Gail's heart hurt to think of him there, all alone. But they had treated him well at the studio, and if they wouldn't forgive him for having abruptly left his job when they'd had to give themselves up, she knew that the casino would welcome him back as a player with open arms. She wasn't too worried about him on that score. He'd always been able to make more than enough to get by.

"What if Barry asks me where you are?" Cas said, as if reading her mind.

Gail thought about that. Of course Barry would ask; she and Cas had always been inseparable. A lump started to form in her throat. "Tell him...tell him I'm on a special project for Heaven. And give him a big hug from me."

"I will," Cas replied. "And I'll have my cell phone with me at all times. Any time you need to talk, or just - " His voice choked up and he cleared his throat. "If you ever want to talk to me, please call, day or night." He tried another smile. "I don't sleep any more."

OK, he was killing her now. If Gail didn't leave right now, they were both going to be sobbing in a minute. But she couldn't lose her resolve. The only way she could figure out if she still wanted to be with him was to be away from him right now.

"Can I kiss you?" Cas asked her.

Gail nodded. She wanted to kiss him too; she needed at least one positive memory of him to take back with her to the bunker. The Demon had wiped out all the others for the time being.

He moved forward and put his hands lightly on her waist, kissing her softly on the lips. She kissed him back, and her hand rose automatically to touch his face, but she pulled it back. No. That gesture was too intimate, and she couldn't be intimate with him right now.

"I'll see you, Cas," she said, and she picked up the suitcase, winking herself out of the house.

Cas's legs started to tremble, so he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the empty closet. The tears started to come as he made himself remember every terrible thing he had ever done to her in this house, and everywhere else. He needed to keep those things close right now. She was leaving him for a good reason, and she hoped she wouldn't be too hard on herself because of it.

He called Bobby on Angel Radio, asking him to come to the house. Then Cas went down to the living room to await Bobby's arrival. Cas looked at the empty wall space above the couch. At least she had packed the pictures. He'd been encouraged by that. But as he looked down at the couch, Cas remembered what he had done to her there, and the guilt stabbed him in the heart yet again. He was going to feel this pain for the rest of his existence, and that was only right. Look at the pain he had subjected Gail to. At least her body would finally completely heal now. But if she was in even half as much emotional pain as he was in right now, her pain would be excruciating, and that was his fault, too.

Bobby appeared, and he was frowning. "What did you say to her?" he asked Cas.

Cas was startled. "What do you mean?"

"She's back at the bunker, bawling her eyes out," Bobby said angrily. He was supposed to be the bigger man here, and Bobby was trying, but it had been hard for him to see Gail like that.

"My mother cried like that all the time, at first," Bobby told Cas grimly. "Then she stopped, and that was almost worse."

Cas sunk down onto the couch and bowed his head. He put his face in his hands. Jason could be torturing him right now, and it wouldn't hurt as much. "I'm sorry you had to go through something like that, Bobby," he said in a muffled voice. "I had no idea." He raised his head. "Please promise me you'll take care of her, Bobby. I can't, right now. I'm the last thing she needs. But I promise you, I'll be better. I'm going to make myself better. In the meantime, you can tell Frank and Sam I'll be going through the tortures of the damned. I'm sure that will cheer them up."

Bobby continued to frown. "No one's happy about much of anything right now, Cas. But they're all entitled to their feelings. Even me. I know I'm God, and I'm supposed to be above such things. But I'm still me, and I've gotta tell you, I considered raining down holy fire on this house, more than once. And if the cure didn't work, I was gonna have to do it."

Cas nodded. "That's why I asked you to come here. I want you to do it. Tell me something, though: was I going to be in the house at the times you considered it?"

Bobby sighed. He was supposedly the poster boy for honesty, wasn't he? "Yeah, Cas, you were. And maybe even Gail, too."

Cas was horrified. He had nearly gotten the both of them obliterated for good. Holy fire was fearsome in its power; whatever, or whoever, was burned up in it was instantly incinerated, and could never come back.

"Thank God Gail was persistent," Bobby continued. "I admit I there were times I thought she should just give up, that the process was costing her too much. I'm still not sure the price wasn't too high."

Another vicious stab of guilt to Cas's heart. He worried about that, too. The Demon in Gail may be gone, but there was still her blood bond with Crowley to think about. Castiel had no idea of the form that would take now that Gail and Crowley were on opposite sides again, logistically speaking. The only benefit, the one and only one, of Cas's cruelty to Gail was that at least he and Gail shared their blood bond, too. Hopefully that would serve to counterbalance things. If she felt drawn to Crowley, she would also feel drawn to Castiel. But even as this thought cheered Cas, it also saddened him. It wasn't fair to Gail to be put in that position, and Cas would much prefer she be drawn to him by love, not by blood.

He sighed, rising to his feet. "I'm not so sure I shouldn't be here in the house now when you do it," Cas said shakily to Bobby.

Bobby approached Cas, staring him down. "No way, Cas. You're not getting off that easily. And no more talk like that, especially if you talk to Gail. You think she's not upset enough right now? You wanna make her feel worse by talking about dying, after she went through all that to cure you? You better damn well take care of yourself, now."

Cas gave Bobby a grim smile. "You're right, Bobby. Thanks. I needed that." And he had, too. If the guilt and the loneliness ever got to Cas so badly that he started contemplating suicide, which he feared he might, all he would have to do was think about what Bobby had just said. He couldn't let all her sacrifices have been for nothing.

"Let's go outside," Bobby said, and the two men appeared on the sidewalk in front of the house. Bobby waved his hand over both of them to make them invisible to humans, then he looked up at the sky and concentrated. A couple of minutes later, a huge fireball appeared and shot straight towards the house, engulfing it in flames. Both men shielded their eyes from the blinding glow, and they stepped back from the intense heat.

Neighbours came running out of their houses to see what was happening. One called the fire department on his cell phone, and another was taking a video on his.

"Did anybody see what happened?" the first man said, hanging up the phone after having reported the incident.

"No," a woman answered. "I was looking out the window, and it just seemed like the house exploded suddenly."

"Is anybody in there?" the first man said, also shielding his eyes as he looked at the fire. "Should we be doing something?"

Another woman piped up. "I'm their next-door neighbour. A man and a woman live there, I think, but I hardly ever see them. I haven't seen them in ages. I think they might be out of town."

The man who'd called the fire department was relieved. He'd just thought he should say something, but the fire was burning fiercely now and the house was totally engulfed. It would be certain death to try to go in there right now, and certain death for anyone who'd had the misfortune to be inside.

"Probably had a meth lab in the basement, or something," the young man who was taking the video said. He grinned. "Either that, or they're vampires."

Cas had to smile faintly at that, thinking about what Sam and Dean did, but then his smile abruptly vanished. Considering his own recent behaviour, he guessed that wasn't too funny, after all.

Bobby nudged Cas, lifting an eyebrow. Ready to go? he communicated non-verbally. Cas looked at the burning house one more time. He needed to fix this in his memory, too. This was what happened when you were selfish and cruel.

Cas nodded, and Bobby put his hand on Cas's arm, bringing Cas to Bobby's office in Heaven.

"I wanted to talk to you another minute, before you leave," Bobby said to Cas.

Castiel took a seat, surprised. Bobby moved behind his desk and sat down. "Gail told me you're going back to Vancouver," Bobby said.

"Yes, I am, Bobby," Cas replied. "I just think I should be away from everyone for a while. But if you need my services, please call. I'll come immediately."

"She told me you mean to get your old job back, the one on the TV show," Bobby said, and now he couldn't help but smile at the pictures that were forming in his head. The real Castiel, on the set of a fictional TV show about the exploits of a very real Sam and Dean Winchester. You couldn't write stuff like that; no one would ever believe you. Not even Chuck would dare touch that.

"Is there anybody playing me?" Bobby had to ask.

"You're dead on the show," Castiel said.

Bobby did a double-take. Well, he supposed that was only fair. That's what had happened in real life. Still, it would have been kind of interesting.

"But I heard you might be back, at least for a guest appearance," Cas added hastily. Now he had the urge to smile at the look on Bobby's face, and he blessed Bobby for that.

Then Bobby's expression turned serious, and so did his words. "I've been really pissed off at you, Cas, but I'll get over it in time. I can't speak for the others, though. If I can give you some unsolicited advice - "

Cas interrupted him. "Please, Bobby, anything you could tell me would be helpful at this point."

Bobby nodded. "My advice would be to stay out of contact for a while. Especially when it comes to Gail. Let her call you, if she's so inclined. But they'll all need time to work through their feelings. I'll try to remind them all that you had a disease, and you don't have it any more."

A lump formed in Cas's throat. That Bobby would offer to do that for him after how awful Cas had been meant the world to him. "Thank you, Bobby. I'll take your advice. I won't pressure Gail in any way." He thought about her sitting in the bunker, feeling sad and vulnerable. "And I hope Sam will promise to do the same," he added.

Now Bobby was frowning again. "I'd watch talk like that, if I were you." He sighed. "But for the record, I know what you're talking about. But people can't help how they feel, Cas. It'll be up to Gail to decide what she's gonna do about Sam. She was right; she is an adult, and she's gonna have to make her own choices. None of us has the right to decide for her. None of us, Cas," he concluded pointedly.

Cas sighed. He hated it, but Bobby was right. Part of loving and respecting Gail was realizing that she did have the right to make her own choices. She had been constantly choosing Cas for over a year now, so he had started to take it for granted that she always would. But that had been another one of the sins that Cas was being punished for. Castiel had gone his whole life without love, and it had only taken one measly year for him to have come to think that it was his right, and not the most precious gift that he had ever received. Castiel had confessed to hating his Father when he'd stood in front of Lucifer's cage, but it should be the other way around. His Father had brought Gail into Castiel's life, and what had Castiel done in return? Thrown his Father's generosity back in His face, by taking her for granted. He had disgraced himself, and disappointed his Father yet again. And where was his Father now? He was retired, but He was still God. Had He borne witness to everything that had been going on?

God had, and He had been alternating between feeling sick to His stomach and going back to His virtual TV set and fiddling with the knobs. Chuck's vision had been accurate. It had taken a while, but God had finally realized that things had spun totally out of control, and it was His fault. By testing His Son Crowley, and exhorting him to do the right thing, God had changed everything. He had forced the issue, naively hoping that it was possible for people's true natures to reverse themselves. When God had created the alternate universe by encouraging Cain not to kill his brother Abel, the universe had taken on a life of its own, and now there didn't seem to be any way to stop it. Even God Himself couldn't stop the momentum, though He'd been constantly trying. He'd fiddled with this, and tweaked that, and nothing He did seemed to make any difference. Cas and Gail were separated now, Chuck was writing, Metatron had confessed to being a pedophile, Jason was happily torturing and killing in Purgatory, and Sam seemed to think that he was the one who Gail should be with. And Crowley was all over the map. He had been kind to Gail in his own way, and he had helped her to obtain the cure. Yet he had also dosed her with his own blood, and without her consent that third time, and he seemed to think that Gail belonged to him.

What was going on here? So many things that were happening now were so similar to the world that God had artificially created to erase the First Murder that it was truly disturbing. And even when God thought that He had negated the alternate world by allowing Cain to go back and kill Abel once again, Crowley had decided to put a little bit too much of himself into Castiel while reviving him, and then things had really gone to hell. And there didn't seem to be anything that God could do about it. Maybe He was going about this the wrong way. Maybe He should go back to the beginning, back to Castiel and Gail's first meeting. That night might have been the catalyst for all of the subsequent ills that had befallen them. Maybe if they had never gotten together in the first place, the dominoes would have fallen differently.

Chapter 4 - Don't Touch That Dial

Dean hung up. "No answer," he said to Sam. Funny; Cas always answered the phone when Dean called. Oh well, he'd have to try later. Right now, they had to get Gail to the bunker and try to figure out how to find her brother.

Gail came out to the library area in the morning, wearing Sam's shirt, and she leaned down over his shoulder to peer at the computer screen. "Find anything yet?" she asked.

"No, but I'm still looking," he told her. She looked cute in his shirt. It was way too long for her, of course, and she had haphazardly rolled up the sleeves. He couldn't help but wonder if she had anything on underneath it, and he flushed, hoping she wouldn't notice. She smelled nice and clean, too.

"Mind if I help myself to a coffee?" Gail asked Sam, and she was already grabbing his cup to give him a refill. He rose; he didn't want her waiting on him, not after what she'd been through with those Demons kidnapping her and her brother. But she waved him back down. "Sit, sit," she insisted. "I got this."

So she and Sam sat together looking at the laptop, discussing the situation, and by the time Dean shuffled into the library area, yawning and stretching, his brother and Gail were already starting to feel their attraction to each other. Dean hadn't been able to get a hold of Cas the night before, so Cas and Gail had not yet met. And because they had not met, she and Sam had gravitated towards each other instead. They were both smart, with wicked senses of humour, and Sam was her hero now. It had been Sam's idea to go to Frank and Gail's motel room, and Sam who had found the vital clue there. By the time that Dean reached Cas and their Angel friend wearily made his way over to the bunker, Gail had been concerned for Cas, but only because he was the brothers' friend, and she thought Sam would be heartbroken if Cas were to die. So she cured Cas before they all went to the bar where Steve had hung out. And even though Castiel had felt love for her when she had been so kind to him, he'd seen her and Sam looking at each other, and he was glad for Sam.

It was Sam who had comforted Gail when they had found Frank dead, and later, they had all gotten out of Crowley's den in time after the explosion. So Gail had never chosen to be an Angel because she had never died, and she had moved into the bunker after that. She and Sam had danced around each other for a while, but Dean knew it was just a matter of time. And one morning, just before dawn, Dean bumped into his brother coming out of Gail's room.

Dean raised an eyebrow, and Sam grinned sheepishly. "Little early to be asking Gail if she wants breakfast, isn't it?" Dean said to his brother. Then he pulled Sam in for a brief hug. "Congrats, man. I'm happy for you guys."

Fast-forward to Las Vegas. It was Sam and Gail who were sharing a room, and they emerged from it hand-in-hand and looking very happy every morning. Cas hadn't come with the three of them, of course; he was an Angel, and Las Vegas was no place for him. Dean spent a bit of time with Sam and Gail, but they were starting to make him sick, all moony-eyed and smooching over brunch. So Dean drank, and gambled more than he should have, hooking up with a different woman every night and wishing he had what Gail and Sam had.

Fast-forward again. The tribunal had never taken place, and Castiel dropped by every now and then, but he was busy in Heaven, helping Bobby with all of the improvements he was instituting there. Besides, every time Cas went to the bunker, Sam and Gail were kissing and holding hands, and seeing that bothered Cas. He didn't know why it should bother him, really. Or did he? If Cas were to be very honest with himself, he did know why it bothered him: He loved Gail, but she had never looked at him as anything other than Sam's Angel friend. Still, Cas found himself stealing glances at her whenever they sat around the table at the bunker, and Sam had started to pick up on it.

Sam didn't normally have a jealous nature, and Gail had been nothing but sweet and loving to him. Still, it seemed to Sam that Gail had been looking back at Cas lately, and even though Cas had averted his eyes every time she did that, Sam was beginning to feel uneasy about the whole thing.

It started out as an innocent discussion, but soon they were talking bluntly. Sam wasn't a big believer in pretense, and he knew that if feelings were held in, they tended to fester. He and Dean had learned that the hard way, many times.

"Why do you keep looking at him?" Sam asked Gail. She was sitting on the edge of the bed in her nightgown, looking at Sam as he unbuttoned his shirt. She had moved into his room a long time ago, and they had spent many happy nights here. Making love, cuddling, sleeping together; no matter what they chose to do on any given night, it was all good. But lately, there was more sleeping being done than anything else, and even though Sam didn't mind if she wasn't always in the mood, Gail seemed preoccupied. And he was afraid he might know with what. Or, with who.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gail protested. But she did, of course. She'd been busted.

"Yes, you do," Sam said calmly. He'd taken off his pants and put on his sweats. He had been hoping they'd be coming off once he turned the lamp down, but they weren't off to a promising start. Still, he came to the bed and sat on the other side of it, hoping she would come into his arms.

But she just sat there, looking at him. Sam frowned. "Come on, Gail. You know how Cas feels about you. We even joked about it. But now I see you looking back at him, and I have to wonder: do you have feelings for him, too?"

Gail's heart sank. "It's complicated, Sam. I don't know what I feel, really. He just looks so sad all the time. I think he's very lonely. That's why he comes here all the time."

"No, he comes here all the time so he can see you," Sam said sharply, maybe more sharply than he'd intended.

Gail shrugged. "Whatever," she said. "Even if that were true, there could never be anything between Cas and me. He's an Angel, and you and I are together."

"What if we weren't together?" Sam said quietly.

Gail hesitated, and that told Sam all he needed to know. He smiled at her, but it was a sad smile. "You know I love you, Gail. But if you love Cas, and he loves you, maybe the two of you should have been together in the first place."

She looked down. "I'm sorry, Sam. I do love you, it's just..." But she didn't know what else to say. Even when she and Sam were in bed and he was naked, and on top of her, she kept seeing Cas, and his clear blue eyes, and his smile whenever she said something he found amusing. It wasn't fair to Sam.

"You don't need to explain, Gail," Sam said to her. She shook her head. He was being way too understanding about this. She reached out her hand to him, and he took it. "I'll have my stuff out as soon as I can find a place to live," Gail said softly.

"No rush," Sam said. He was determined not to be angry about it. Truthfully, he'd been feeling like there was something off about their relationship for some time now. Had he and Gail gotten together just because they had liked each other so much, and it was convenient? He still loved her, and he always would, but it was weird. It was like some kind of a higher power didn't want Sam and Gail to be together. They had done everything right, and it had still turned out wrong.

So she had moved out of the bunker and gotten a job, and even though she dropped by once in a while, and so did Cas, the two of them had never gotten together. Cas was too shy to act on his feelings, and he felt badly for even having had them in the first place. Sam had insisted that there were other reasons that he and Gail had split up, but Cas had his doubts, and he blamed himself. So any time he and Gail happened to be in the bunker at the same time, Cas would say a couple of words to her only, and then excuse himself to go back up to Heaven. And perhaps that was just as well.

God was puzzled. He had deliberately changed the timeline so that Castiel and Gail had never met that first night. In many ways, Gail and Sam were the better match, and it was the bond that had formed between Gail and Castiel over her having cured the Angel that had drawn them together instead. At least, that was what God had thought. But perhaps there was more to it than that. After all, Gail had been the driving force behind Castiel's recent cure, too. But now the two of them were apart. What was He missing here? None of His children seemed to be happy now. Maybe that was what was wrong. There was no joy. God was aware that, of all of them, Dean had, quietly, been the most frustrated with everyone lately. Where was the fun? Everything had been so dramatic. Even when he and Sam had been hunting monsters or dealing with Crowley, with Cas by their side, sometimes being clueless and other times being a badass, they had had some laughs. And Gail and Frank could certainly use a few laughs these days, too. They had had such a raw deal. That was what was wrong. God should never have allowed Gail's brother to die. He should have been a part of their circle from the beginning, and maybe Dean and Gail should have gotten in that Impala and gone on their date.

"Don't stay out too late, kids," Frank teased.

"Last chance to come with us," Dean said, looking at Frank past Gail through the passenger window of the Impala. Frank had leaned down to say goodbye to his sister. It was about time she went out. She just sat in her room reading most of the time. Sam and Dean had extended their hospitality to the siblings for a while after their close shave with Crowley and his Demon squad, and Frank and Gail had been staying in the bunker. They'd be going back on the road soon, but Frank had been enjoying a few home-cooked meals and the company of the brothers. And Gail had come out of her shell a bit, teasing Dean about his taste in music and his love of flannel. Dean had responded in kind, teasing Gail about being a nerd who wouldn't know a good time if it smacked her in the face.

So, it had come to this, and when Dean had said they should all go out drinking before Frank and Gail took off, Gail had gotten so annoyed that Dean thought she was such a stick-in-the-mud that she had accepted his invitation. Sam and Frank had urged the two of them to go, but they were going to hang back. Cas was coming by in a while, and Frank was really curious to meet him. Since Sam and Dean and Gail had caught up with the truck that night and freed Frank, there had been no need for a search and rescue operation, so Cas had never met the brother and sister. Gail had been curious to meet him too, but she and Frank were going to be leaving in just a couple of days, and if she didn't have her wild night out now, she'd probably never have one. So she had gotten into the car Dean affectionately called "Baby", and the two of them had taken off, Frank waving as the garage door came down behind them.

Dean took Gail to a local roadhouse and was surprised to discover that she could match him shot for shot. They played pool, had burgers and fries, and then some more drinks. She even convinced him to dance with her when a slow song came on. He said something that made her laugh, and Dean thought that she had no idea how her face transformed when she did that. He guessed life wasn't too much fun for her most of the time, traipsing along with her brother from town to town, sitting around in motel rooms while Frank was out doing his thing. At least he and Sammy hunted together. Gail lived like a nun, and she pretty much acted like one too, from what he had seen. Too bad. Some guy was really missing out here, and Gail was missing out, too. Dean wondered if she'd ever even been to bed with a man, or ever would, given her situation.

So they had a few more drinks and laughed some more, and then it was Dean who asked her to dance. It was another slow one, and the volume of the music had gone up as the place had gotten noisier. So when she said something, Dean couldn't quite hear her. He leaned closer, and then he surprised himself by kissing her.

She looked at him, and he kissed her again. This time, she responded, and then she opened her mouth as Dean's tongue went looking for hers. Then he stopped. He shouldn't be doing this. She was innocent and naive, and she was leaving in just a couple of days.

"What's the matter, Dean?" she asked him.

He didn't know, exactly. This was unprecedented for him.

"Let's go somewhere we can be alone," Gail said to him. She was pretty tipsy by now, but she liked Dean, and she knew he liked her, too. They'd been having a great time, and Gail didn't want it to end just yet. She'd be going back on the road with Frank in another couple of days, and she couldn't see a better opportunity than this anywhere on the horizon. Dean was a good guy, and he was damn good-looking, too.

"I don't know, Gail," Dean said uneasily. "I just feel like that would be wrong, somehow." But he wasn't exactly letting go of her, either, and she could feel that at least one part of him disagreed with what he'd just said. And they said women were the ones who sent mixed signals.

"Fine. Don't let me talk you into anything," Gail retorted. She walked back to the table and picked up her purse. "How much is my share?"

"Don't be stupid," Dean said, but he was grinning. He took out his wallet and threw the money on the table. "Let's go."

He had intended to take her back to the bunker, but he took her to a motel instead, and once inside the room, they undressed each other eagerly. For a woman with very little experience, she made up for it with enthusiasm, Dean thought, amused. He laid her down on the bed, kissing her, and then he moved his body down and opened her legs. He used his tongue on her, and Gail clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise. Wow. So this was what she had read about. She started making noises, but she was shy about it. She didn't want him to think she was weird, or anything.

But Dean gently removed her hand from her mouth and held it for a moment. "Don't do that," he said gently. "I want you to let go. Feel free to be yourself. It's just you and me here."

Then he resumed, and Gail cried out in joy. Dean smiled, and when Gail started to laugh, deep in the good feeling, Dean was glad. When she was finally still, Dean entered her, and she was smiling up at him, drawing his body closer to hers. He kissed her and she gave him her tongue, and she was caressing his arms and his shoulders as he moved in and out of her. Then he felt the warm rush, and he groaned.

They lay side by side afterwards, and Dean kissed her nose. She laughed. "Wow," she said.

"Yeah," Dean said, smiling. But then he frowned. "Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. I have nothing to offer you, Gail. I'm not marriage material."

"So, who asked you?" she retorted. "Why would you think that about me? Did I say that I was looking for something like that?"

"No, but..." Dean propped himself up on one elbow, and he touched her cheek. "You deserve someone who is. You need a guy who'll make you his number-one priority. And I like you a lot. Maybe I even love you. But I'm not that guy, Gail."

Gail nodded. She'd known that, of course. Dean was a sweetheart, and she liked hanging around with him, but he was who he was. And she didn't hold that against him. How could she?

"That's OK, Dean," she said, smiling. She caressed his chest playfully. "You're a wonderful guy, and you've given me a terrific memory. I don't suppose you'd like to give me one more before we go back?" she added mischeviously.

Dean answered her smile, relieved that she understood and that she wasn't making him feel like the biggest bastard in the world about it. The truth was, he'd been tempted to ask her to stay, and see if they could make it work. If he could have a long-term relationship with any woman, Dean thought it could be with her. She was cute, she was funny as hell when she loosened up, and she had a lot of love to give to the right guy. And her brother was a Hunter, so she understood the life, and the toll it took on you. Sammy doted on her like a brother would a sister, and Frank was a stand-up guy. There could be a lot to be said for expanding his and Sam's family to include the both of them. And Dean was sure that Cas would like them, too. Dean's longing for family almost prompted him to do something that he sensed was not quite the way it should be. But it would be close, damn close.

But instead, he kissed her again and said, "Let's make another memory, and let's make it a good one." And he was talking to himself, as well as to her.

They got in late, and Frank and Sam were already asleep. Dean gave her one more good kiss at her door, and then they went to their separate rooms, smiling.

Two days later, Frank and Gail hugged the brothers goodbye, and they left to go back on the road. Frank began talking about Cas, and how strange and funny he'd been. Gail should have been there. She smiled to herself, reliving the night with Dean in her mind. But she was a little disappointed, too. She would have loved to have met Cas. The way Sam and Dean talked about him, and now Frank, you would have thought Cas walked on water, or something. Actually, maybe he did; he was an Angel, wasn't he? She'd have to read up on that. Still, it was nice to know that whenever she prayed, there might be a good friend of the Winchesters listening. She hoped they'd be able to see the brothers again sometime. Maybe she could meet Cas then.

But she and Frank never did see Sam and Dean again. They criss-crossed the States, and so did Sam and Dean, and whenever the brothers called Frank, or vice versa, one or the other of them always seemed to be knee-deep in something.

And when Gail was leafing through the paper one day and saw the article headlined "Brothers Die Under Mysterious Circumstances", she cried for days.

God banged on top of the TV to shake up the picture again. What had He done now? Frank was still alive, and he and Gail were together. They had been befriended by the Winchesters, and Gail had still never met Cas, but Frank had, and they'd liked each other. But now Sam and Dean were dead, and Gail and Cas were still miserable. Every time God moved a couple of dominoes in what he thought would be the proper alignment, they all came tumbling down, and the situation kept getting worse. He had thought that He had messed up in causing Castiel and Gail's first meeting, so He had delayed it, and then negated it altogether. That obviously hadn't worked, so God had then tried to put Sam and then Dean together with Gail, and that hadn't worked, either. Should He just go back and erase Gail from existence? Maybe that would work. Everything would just go back to the way it had been before she had fallen off the truck that night and been picked up by the Winchesters. But if she had never been born, or if the brothers had never recovered her that night, would things really be any better? She had been the catalyst for many good things, as well as bad. Castiel would long be dead, if it weren't for her. Or even if God had allowed her to live long enough to cure Castiel that first night, but allowed her to be killed in Dallas or even in Las Vegas, where would his Son be now? A full-fledged monster, bound for Hell, or even for Lucifer's cage. Yes, his Father had contemplated throwing Castiel in there when he had been at his worst. But He had been dying to see if Gail could accomplish the acquisition of the cure, and God had cheered her skillful handling of his Sons at the meeting of the Originals, and her self-sacrifice in getting in there in the first place. He'd just had to see if she could pull it off after that. And His Daughter had. How could He even contemplate winking her out of existence now? She was one of His finest creations, and she was fascinating to watch. Just when He thought He had her figured out, she would surprise Him again.

And Castiel continued to baffle Him, as well. Even though God had been thoroughly disgusted by His Son's abhorrent behaviour, to the point of sending that thunderstorm at Christmastime to express His displeasure, Castiel's Father was still inclined to give him a bit of a break. After all, God had engineered the tribunal and Castiel's subsequent execution in an elaborate attempt to find out what His other Son Crowley would do when push came to shove. God had been giving these particular kinds of tests for eons, but not one of them had backfired on Him as spectacularly as that one had. Crowley had ultimately delivered, but he had put his own personal spin on it, filling Castiel full of his own Demon essence just for a lark. Then along had come Metatron, Aurielle, and Jason, all with their own personal agendas, and things had gone seriously out of control. God had been trying to undo what He had wrought ever since, but now everything was still in a mess, even though Castiel and Gail were now cured. Perhaps God should just let it alone for a while and see what happened. It certainly couldn't get much worse. He realized He could probably do with a little self-analysis, too. He really did love His children; at least, the ones who were inherently good, and tried to do the right things. Even if they screwed up now and then, or more often than that. But, why did God seem to feel the need to continue testing them? He was like a guy who has finally gotten the perfect picture on his TV for the big game, only to keep fiddling with the controls, trying to make it that - much - better. Why couldn't He seem to let well enough alone, to just let His children take the Free Will He had given them and use it? Things had been pretty good before God had allowed Xavier to proceed with the tribunal. Now Castiel had dispatched Xavier, Alexander, and Lanister to Hell. And even though God did not object to that on general principles, the way his Son had done it had been disturbing. But then, what else did God expect? He had fiddled with the dials, and Castiel had been turned into a monster, and that was what monsters did. But not all monsters needed potions to make them that way. Even now, Lanister was scheming to take over Hell, and his former boardmates wouldn't be his only disciples.

And the one who had put them there was currently in Vancouver, turning his Angel blade over and over in his hands, seriously contemplating suicide.

Cas was at the lowest point he'd ever been, even lower than during the tribunal.

Things had started out OK when he'd gotten back to Vancouver; relatively speaking, of course. He had rented a brand new apartment, and he had gone back to the studio to talk with Richard. The security guard at the gate had remembered Cas and let him in, and Richard had been cordial but cool as Cas greeted him.

"I got your note," Richard told Cas, after telling him to have a seat. "But all it said was that you were sorry that you had to leave so suddenly, and that it couldn't be helped. But that didn't exactly help us, Cas. We had to halt production for a week until we could find a replacement. Do you know what that did to our schedule?"

Cas felt bad, but he really wanted this job back. He had felt good about himself when he'd been working. What they did here may seem frivolous, but it made a lot of people happy and enabled the humans who worked on the show to feed their creativity while feeding their families. What could be wrong with that? And Cas knew he'd done a good job. Everyone had told him so, and Gail had been pleased and proud of him.

"I'm very sorry, Richard. I feel terrible about that. But I was telling the truth. It couldn't be helped." So far, so good; but now Cas needed to lie his face off. He reminded himself that it was for a good cause. "Gail's abusive ex-boyfriend caught up with us, and he took a knife to her before I could stop him. You can't imagine how that felt, Richard. She's still recuperating." Tears came to his eyes, and while that had been partially by design, Cas thought he had better not say anything else. What he'd just said was all too horrifyingly close to the truth, and he was really going to lose it in a moment. Cas had used the one thing he thought might sway Richard to forgive him and give him another chance, but in doing so, he had actually been describing the monster that he himself had been, and that hit a little too close to the bone.

Richard was appalled. That was exactly what had happened to his niece. Richard had met Gail when Cas had brought her to his office that one time, pleading a job for her on the lot to help protect her from such a scenario occurring. And Richard had been prepared to scare up some kind of a job for her just to keep her safe. She was a cute little thing, and Cas obviously doted on her. Even now, Richard could see that Cas was on the verge of tears as he talked about the incident. No wonder they had had to disappear so suddenly.

"Please tell me the bastard's at least in jail now," Richard said to Cas.

Cas smiled grimly. "He's gone. He won't ever be bothering us again."

Richard stared at Cas. What did he mean by that? When Richard had known Cas before, he had always been like that. Answering questions, but never quite directly. Leaving you to infer what he might or might not mean.

"How's Gail now?" Richard asked him. "Is she here with you?"

Cas frowned. "I think she'll be all right. At least, I hope so. But she's in the States now, in...rehabilitation."

"Why are you here, then?" Richard asked curiously. Based on what he knew of the couple, he would have thought that only God Himself could keep the two of them apart.

Cas smiled weakly. "She pushed me out the door. Told me I was driving her nuts. She's got a lot of recuperating to do, and I guess I was hovering a bit too much. Her brothers are with her now. She told me to come back here and make an honest living for a while. Medical bills are expensive." He hoped he wouldn't be struck down for all of this. But Cas felt like he had Richard's attention and his sympathy now, and he'd had to make a compelling case.

Richard nodded, and he sat back in his chair. He knew all about that. He may work in Canada, but he was an American, and long-term medical care didn't come cheap in the States. Poor Gail.

Richard sighed. "OK, Cas. You're in luck. It just so happens that the guy who has your job just got a TV pilot, and he's moving back to L.A. So your timing couldn't be better. We need someone for the rest of the season. But if you run out on us again, that's it. Are we understood?"

"Yes, we're understood," Cas said quickly.

Richard sighed again. He hoped he wasn't going to regret this. But he did need somebody to do the job, and poor Gail needed to defray her medical costs. He just hoped she'd be able to come all the way back.

So they'd shaken hands and Richard had sent Cas to the set immediately.

Cas dove into his work, and even though the crew members who had worked with him before had been cool to him at first, they soon warmed again. Cas was friendly and cooperative, and he had a few excellent suggestions on how to improve the scene. It was just like he had never left. He stayed late into the night without complaining, and he never seemed to get hungry or fatigued. He was a director's dream.

That was weeks ago, and although the job had helped Cas to rebuild his self-esteem, he was still miserable when it was time to go home. He had picked up his phone many times, wanting to call Gail and tell her how well he was doing on the set, but he had made himself put the phone down every time. He had promised Bobby he would leave her alone, give her space. He had been praying that she would call him, but she hadn't, not even once, even though he kept his cell phone turned on and near him at all times. He did have to shut it off when they were filming, but then he would rush to it after they were done, checking for any messages. But there had been nothing. Had Sam poisoned her mind against him? No, he couldn't think like that. That was the bad way of thinking, and it led to misery. That was the Demon's way of thinking. Sam was not the bad guy, and he had been justifiable in his anger at Cas. And Sam couldn't help it if he himself had feelings for Gail; Cas certainly knew what that was like. But that didn't mean that Gail had those kinds of feelings for Sam. Gail had her own mind, and Cas needed to remind himself of that fact. He needed to respect her as a person in her own right. Castiel had always thought that he was so forward-thinking, but he too sometimes fell into the trap of centuries-old thinking. He could both love her and protect her if she would let him, but he couldn't control her, and he didn't own her.

And then one night the phone did ring, but it was not Gail, it was Bobby. And he had horrible news.

Gail had been a basket case for weeks. She drifted around the bunker aimlessly, never quite knowing what to do with herself. She had tried to read some of the many books in the library, thinking that a return to her first love, the printed word, might soothe her. But she couldn't concentrate, and she just didn't care.

Frank had taken up residence in the bunker now, and he and Sam and Dean had all but bent over backwards to be nice to her. But maybe that was the problem. They were all walking on eggshells around her, and nobody was acting like themselves any more. Her depression was contagious, and every time she walked into a room, they stopped laughing, or even smiling. Then she would get angry with them, and with herself. Was this how she was supposed to live out the rest of her existence, floating around the bunker like some kind of Emo ghost? So she would retreat to her room and spend hours just staring at the pictures of the Supernatural actors that Cas had salvaged from the house, and that she had hung up on the wall of her room. Looking at them just made her feel even sadder, but she couldn't seem to stop, and she couldn't bring herself to take them off the wall. Doing that would be like admitting that it was over, and that her life was over. So she just sat and stared. She wondered how he was doing. She'd picked up the phone so many times, and so many times she had put it back down. What could she possibly say to Cas right now? That she had forgiven him? That would be a lie, because she hadn't. That she was glad his life was going on without her? What if it was? Then she would pretend to be happy for him, but that would be a lie, too. She hoped he was miserable; it would be the least he could do for her.

At first, she had searched around for her photo, the one of the two of them in Vegas. The second one. Then she realized that Cas must still have it. Oh, well. It was probably just as well. She already spent way too much time crying and mooning over photographs as it was.

Bobby was fed up. Gail was wasting her life. He had to jar her out of her doldrums somehow. So he knocked on the door of her room one day, then entered without waiting for her to speak.

She was sitting on the bed crying. Of course. Bobby drew up a chair beside her.

"This has to end, Gail," he said bluntly.

That reminded her so much of the time that Cas had come to her room, when she was doing much the same thing as she was doing now after Frank's death, that she started bawling again. Bobby looked startled.

"Sorry, just...memories," she sniffled. She knew how uncomfortable Bobby got whenever she or Cas cried. Especially Cas. That thought made her smile for a moment, then it set her off again.

"You can't live your life in the past, Gail," Bobby told her. He was trying to sound stern, but it just about broke his heart to see her like this. Contrary to what a lot of people thought about him, Bobby was very sentimental at times, especially when it came to women. As God, he had to be a stern authority figure most of the time, but this was almost too much for him to bear. But he had come here to try to help her, and if he had to be a dick in order to do it, then he would be one.

"When was the last time you did anything productive?" he demanded of her.

Gail sniffled again, pulling some more tissues out of the box next to her on the bed and holding them to her face. She knew she should have bought some stock in that company. But she didn't answer Bobby. What could she possibly say? They both knew her life had no purpose.

"Well, I'm here to give you one," Bobby said, hearing her thought. Naturally.

She frowned at him, but still she said nothing, so Bobby continued, "We're finally getting around to sitting the board. Chuck nominated you for Chairwoman, and Kevin seconded it. Heaven needs you, Gail. I expect you to report first thing tomorrow morning."

Gail dropped the tissues and glared at him. "Oh, you expect me to, do you? Well, what are you going to do if I don't? Fire me?"

But, like Cas had been so long ago, Bobby was encouraged by that. So, she did still have some spirit left. "Let me rephrase it, then: I would really like it if you would." His beard twitched.

Gail rewarded him with a faint smile. "That's better," she said. But then she frowned again. "Why, Bobby? I don't know anything about that kind of stuff. Why should anyone care about anything I have to say? Look how messed up I am." She started to tear up again.

But Bobby wasn't going to let her jump back into the self-pity pool. It was too deep, and it was too comfortable. He ought to know; he'd spent a lot of time treading water there himself. "Oh, I don't know," he retorted, "maybe because you're smart, and you know how real life really works. I'm trying to get some of those ancient laws finally updated. Did you know that there's one that states that Angels can't show physical affection for each other?"

Despite herself, Gail was intrigued. "I thought that was Xavier's doing," she said.

Bobby smiled inwardly. He thought he'd get her attention with that one. "No. Apparently, it's in the ancient code. Angels don't choose to be celibate, Gail; they're legislated to be. So, even when husbands and wives are reunited there, they aren't allowed to express their love for each other if they want to." Bobby sat back in his chair, waiting.

And he didn't have long to wait. "But that's stupid!" Gail exclaimed. "How can you legislate people not to love each other? And if they want to do something about it, whose business is it, anyway? What's wrong with that?"

He'd known that would get her dander up. Xavier had condemned her and Cas for showing their love for each other by kissing and holding hands in public, and he had thrown her to the mat during the tribunal over the fact that she and Cas had had sex. It turned out he'd had a dark history with the subject and as a result, Xavier had a personal bias against all forms of physical affection because of what his uncle had done to him when he'd been a child. But now Bobby was actually telling her that Heaven had a law against it, one that went back to ancient times? No wonder Angels worked so much, and seemed so uptight all the time.

"Even husbands and wives," Bobby repeated. "I couldn't believe it, myself. And there are other laws you wouldn't believe, too. I need your help, Gail. We've got to tackle the ancient code. Becky shouldn't even be in Heaven right now, for another thing. The law states that whoever commits suicide, for whatever reason, gets immediately cast down. And wait till you see what it says about homosexuality."

That did it. Gail got off the bed and said, "Let's go take a look at this thing."

So Gail had been on the board now for about a week, and she was still trying to get a handle on the ancient rulebook. But she didn't know the language, and Kevin and Sam had been trying to help her with the translations. Kevin had been spending more time at the bunker lately; Sam had some books in the library that helped, and Chuck still had that old moth-eaten volume that he had lent to Gail during the tribunal, and Kevin had really wanted to visit Earth from time to time. Bobby had relented; Kevin had been so young when he'd been taken, and the Prophet told Bobby that he missed the fresh air, music videos on TV, and humans in general. So Bobby let Kevin go to the bunker on occasion to visit and to help Gail with the translations. Gail would give Kevin regular breaks, and he would try to drink a Coke as he watched MTV. Wow. They sure put a lot of sex into videos these days, he thought, amazed. Even a few years ago when he'd been able to sneak a look, away from his mother's watchful eye, the sex had been more implied than overt. That was before Sam had killed him, of course. No, not Sam; Kevin had to get past that weirdness, or he'd go crazy.

Bobby even let Becky come with Kevin sometimes, and they would hold hands while they watched TV. Kevin was highly motivated to get those ancient laws changed. Maybe once they were finished, and Gail and Bobby signed the final draft, he and Becky would be able to do something more than just hold hands. Kevin had always thought it might be a moot point, but Gail seemed to think that once Bobby put the official seal that was sitting on God's former desk on the document, things might change. Kevin was all for that. Maybe if Becky knew it was no longer against the law, they could negotiate.

Gail would smile sadly at the young couple, holding hands and watching TV. It was sweet, but it made her heart hurt. She had been busy and productive, and she felt like she would be helping lots of Angels with what she was doing now. She was feeling good about herself for the first time in a long time. Was Cas feeling the same way? What was he doing? He would love what she was doing now, she was sure of it. But still, she couldn't bring herself to pick up the phone. What if he was still depressed? Or, worse; what if he wasn't? What if he had moved on?

Sam leaned down over her shoulder. He'd been trying to get her attention. "We're out of paper again," he said in her ear.

Oh. Right. She had been trying to convert Kevin's translations into simple language, but ancient Enochian was far from simple, and she'd wasted a lot of paper. Kevin and Becky had rolled their eyes at her, telling her she should just type the words into the computer, but Gail had protested that she thought better when she wrote things out in longhand. But now her hand hurt, she was apparently out of paper again, she had eyestrain, and the music videos suddenly sounded loud to her. "Can you guys turn that down a bit?" she said irritably, rubbing her eyes. Sam snickered, and she looked up at him. "Did I just say that?" Gail asked him. "Oh my God, I think I just officially became an old lady."

Sam laughed again. "Never," he said, and he bent down and kissed her on the cheek. But she turned her face away. Sam was just being sweet, she knew, but he still had those feelings for her, and she didn't want to give him any encouragement. Regardless of what happened with her and Cas, whether they were finished or not, that was never going to happen. She just couldn't.

Gail looked at Kevin and Becky, prepared to apologize, and for an instant, she could have sworn she saw Becky glaring at her. Maybe she was just upset that Gail had asked them to turn the music down, but for a moment, Gail had been startled by her look. She had never seen such an unpleasant look on Becky's face before; it had almost looked like hatred. But then Becky turned back to look at the TV, and Gail shook her head. She must really have eyestrain.

"Do you mind getting me some more paper, Sam?" Gail asked him. "I want to finish this part before tomorrow's meeting."

"OK, but I'll have to go to the store," he replied good-naturedly. "When I said we were out, I meant it. Want to go for a ride? Come on, we can play all that music that Dean hates so much. He's still doing the oil change, but we can take one of the other cars."

Gail smiled. That was tempting. She wouldn't mind getting some fresh air and getting away from all this musty paperwork for a while. Sam was preying on her love for pop music, a genre that Dean detested and wouldn't allow in the Impala under any circumstances. But she and Sam liked it, and Sam encouraged Gail to turn it up as loud as she wanted in the kitchen when they were making breakfast in the morning. It drove Dean crazy, but of course, that was just another reason to love it.

"You're on, Sam." She got up and stretched, then followed him down the hall to the garage.

"We're going to the store," Sam told Frank and Dean. They were both working on the Impala, heads buried deep under the hood, talking cars. "Want anything?" Gail said, not really expecting an answer. And she didn't get one, only monosyllabic grunts. She and Sam grinned at each other, rolling their eyes. Typical.

Then they were driving, and Gail was listening to her music when she was suddenly transported back to when she and Cas had been driving to Vancouver. She'd had free reign of the radio then too, and when she had found a song she particularly liked, she would turn it up and seat dance. She could feel Cas's eyes on her then, and she could see him smile out of the corner of her eye. Even though they'd been officially on the run from Heaven, and worried about Sam and Dean's safety from Jason, she had felt so free, and she knew Cas had, too. Why couldn't Xavier have just left them alone? Who were they hurting? They'd been in love, and they had been happy. Well, she may still be in love, but she sure as hell wasn't happy, not like she'd been then. Still, life went on, didn't it? At least she had something important to do now, and the other board members seemed to like her and respect her opinion. Imagine that. Maybe it was time to finally call Cas, see if he wanted to take part in some of their meetings. If he still cared. But Gail had the feeling he would. Patricia had been angry that Castiel hadn't been to any of the meetings. Didn't he realize how important this was? she'd asked Bobby. He'd looked uncomfortable and said that Cas was on a sabbatical. Well, maybe they should just take his name off the slate, then, Patricia had said. But Bobby had said no, they wouldn't be doing that, and Patricia had thrown up her hands, leaving Bobby's office in a huff. Bobby had looked so downcast that Gail had almost laughed. Gail had the feeling that Patricia might be so gung-ho to have the laws changed for her own reasons. She had seen Bobby and Patricia exchanging glances during the board meetings. Gail thought that she would love to see the two of them together. Bobby was a good man, and Patricia would be a good partner for him. Just because Gail was pining away didn't mean everyone else had to, and she would be happy for them.

Gail was looking out the passenger window, preoccupied, and Sam was looking at her. He was glad she was out of her deep depression now, and he had been trying to keep her as happy as he could. But he knew that she was still melancholy. He'd hoped that once she and Cas had been separated for a while, Gail would be more receptive to him. But even though Sam knew there had been no contact between the two, Gail couldn't seem to let go. He would remain open and available, but Sam wasn't about to push himself on her, either. That was what Cas had done, and Sam was better than that. If she wanted comfort from Sam, she knew where he was. He seldom left her side these days.

And because Gail was looking out the side window, and Sam was looking at her, and the music was loud, neither of them saw the truck until it was too late.

Cas had been turning the blade over in his hands, debating with himself. Why shouldn't he do it? He was lonely, cut off from everyone he loved. But they obviously didn't love him any more. He hadn't received one phone call from any of them, not even one, in all the time he'd been here. Not even a call on Angel Radio. He was persona non grata now, and they were obviously getting along just fine without him.

He had the photo of himself and Gail in his other hand, and his eyes blurred with tears as he looked at it again. He kept looking from the blade to the picture and back again. He had liberated the blade from the bunker before he'd left for the final time, and no one had objected to it because he was an Angel again. But maybe they should have. If they'd known he planned to kill himself with it, maybe they wouldn't have let him take it. Or maybe they would have, anyway. He knew that Sam and Frank hated him. Maybe Dean would still care, but Dean wouldn't believe Cas would actually do it. Dean had been in denial about a lot of things when Cas had left. And Bobby had looked into Cas's eyes when they'd watched the house burn as if he'd known what Cas was thinking, but he had also told Cas to take care of himself, and he had made Cas promise not to do anything to have made Gail's sacrifices have been for nothing.

And that was the only thing that was stopping him now. Cas looked at Gail in the picture, and at himself, and how happy they had both looked. And even though that made him feel like doing it even more, he continued to look anyway. How would she feel if he were gone? Would she even care? He remembered how happy they had been to be reunited after Crowley had brought him back. But then everything had gone horribly wrong, and Cas still didn't understand how, or why. He knew intellectually, of course, but emotionally? That was an entirely different story. How had he gone from the one who loved her the most to the one who had hurt her the most in the blink of an eye? He could blame Crowley, he could blame Metatron, he could even blame God. But Cas needed to take responsibility, most of all. He didn't blame Gail for not calling him, not really. What was she supposed to say?

Then the phone rang, and everything changed.

"Cas?" It was Bobby. "Gail and Sam were in a car accident. A really bad one."

Cas had put the blade down to answer the phone, but he still had the photo in his other hand, and he instinctively crushed it against his chest by his heart. He sat up and swung his legs off the bed. "How bad?" he asked Bobby, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Bad," Bobby replied shortly, his voice choked with emotion. "A runaway truck T-boned the car they were in. Sam's in a coma, hanging on - " his voice broke, but he continued, " - and I can't get in to see Gail. Maybe I could heal her, if she's not..."

Oh, my God. My Father, Cas prayed. Gail was an Angel; she couldn't die from a car accident, right? Could she? "If she's not what, Bobby?"

"I don't know, Cas!" Bobby exclaimed. "They won't let me in to see her! They've been working on her, but Sam's..." His voice broke again. "Sam's human, Cas."

"Where are you?" Cas asked. He absently put the photo in his shirt, but the blade stayed on the bed, forgotten.

Bobby told him, and Cas winked out of the apartment immediately.

Cas appeared in the waiting room at the hospital. He'd been so frantic he hadn't thought about anyone seeing him, and he hadn't cared. Fortunately, there was only Bobby, pacing back and forth. Cas rushed to him. "What's happening, Bobby?"

"No change, since we spoke two seconds ago," Bobby replied dryly.

"Where is she?" Cas demanded.

"She's in there." Bobby gestured to the trauma room. "But I told you, I can't get in."

"Oh, I'll be getting in, don't you worry about that," Cas retorted. "Where's Dean?"

"He's sitting with Sam, of course," Bobby replied. "I just came out here to call you."

"Why didn't you just call me on Angel Radio?" Cas asked him.

Bobby could have kicked himself. He'd been so nuts with worry he'd forgotten Cas was back on the frequency now.

"Couldn't you have just popped in to see Gail?" Cas persisted.

But Bobby gave him a look. "I told you, there was a full staff working on her," he said. "How would we have explained that?"

Cas thought about it. "Well, I have a way. A good friend of mine taught me. Where will you be?"

"Third floor, second door on the left," Bobby replied. "Come up when you're done. And try not to call too much attention to yourself." He gave Cas a wry smile. Now that the initial shock had worn off a bit, Bobby saw no reason why Gail wouldn't be just fine once Cas got in to see her. That was, if he could heal her with the emergency room staff hovering over her, of course. Bobby had been crazed with worry over Sam, and he hadn't been thinking clearly. But he thought he deserved a break. They had all been through so much trauma lately. Dean was out of his mind. And nobody knew where Frank was. He had taken off shortly after Sam and Gail had, and nobody had been able to reach him.

Bobby turned on his heel and walked to the elevator, and Cas squared his shoulders. Angel or not, Gail needed him now, and Bobby had enough on his plate.

Cas approached the reception desk and identified himself as Gail's husband. The nurse said, "I'll see if you can go in." She buzzed the trauma room, then hung up the phone and said, "Go ahead."

Thank God. Cas pushed open the glass door and saw her right away. She was lying on a gurney, bruised and bloody, and her eyes were closed. He flashed back to the night she'd been stabbed by that mugger in Vancouver. He rushed to her side.

"She's stable," the doctor told Cas. "The truck hit on the driver's side, and she was the passenger. She's extremely banged up, but she should be fine."

"Thank you," Cas said to him.

"You can stay here with her if you want," the doctor said. "I've got to go. It's a busy night. Unfortunately." He gave Cas a grim smile, and then he was gone.

Cas drew the drapes around them, and then he sat down in the chair beside Gail, taking her hand. "Gail?" he said softly.

She opened her eyes. "We've got to stop meeting like this," she quipped. She tried to sit up, but her head was swimming, and Cas eased her back down.

"Ohhh," she groaned. "They pumped me full of drugs before I could stop them. I know we're Angels again, but I swear to God, I'm stoned. And it still hurts so much."

"Let me help you with that," Cas said, smiling at her fondly. He looked around quickly, then remembered he had drawn the drapes. Apparently, Bobby wasn't the only one who forgot things when he had been traumatized. Cas had been devastated to see her lying here like this, even though he knew she'd be fine once he healed her. Hadn't she been hurt enough lately? But at least this time, it wasn't Cas's fault.

He started to lay his hands on her face, but Gail said, "How will we explain?"

Cas frowned. "I don't care. I just need to heal you, instead of hurting you, for a change."

Gail's eyes blurred, and this time, it wasn't because of the drugs. "How are you, Cas?"

"I'm better, now that I'm with you," he replied. "And I'll be even better when I know you're not in pain any more."

"OK, Cas. We'll figure something out. Heal away."

He touched her face, and she smiled. Then he moved on to her arms, and then he looked into her eyes. "OK if I lift the sheet?" he asked her. He would never take anything for granted any more. He had promised himself.

Gail was almost amused. "Yeah, Cas," she replied.

He lifted the sheet and she pulled her gown up. Cas winced. Sam may have taken the brunt, but she was very badly injured, too. What he saw now looked way worse than anything he himself had ever done. And yet, Gail was stoic. He had probably given her lots of practice, he thought, hating himself once again. He moved his hands over her body, doing what he could. But as they both wekk knew, he could only heal open wounds, nothing more. She had those, but she also had many bruises, a sight which was all too painfully familiar to him. And there was a cast on her leg.

"Oh, Gail," he said miserably.

"I know. I've never had a broken bone before," she said, almost cheerfully. Those drugs must have been really something, Cas thought.

"I can only imagine how Sam is feeling," Gail continued. "Where is he, anyway? I didn't see him here. I asked, but they said they didn't know."

Cas's heart sank. She didn't know. "Bobby said he's in a coma."

Gail sat up and gingerly moved her cast until she was sitting on the edge of the gurney. "No!" she exclaimed. "Oh, my God! Well, can't Bobby do something about that?"

"I don't think he can," Castiel said soberly. "If he could have, he would have, I'm sure."

Gail clutched at him. "Well, what good is being God, then?" she asked him, panicked. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Pray," Cas told her. "That's all we can do, I guess. I've been praying non-stop ever since I got to Vancouver that I would see you again soon. But I didn't want it to be like this." Tears sprang to his eyes. If Sam died, it would be Cas's fault. He had been jealous of Sam, and he had wished that he could see Gail again. But Cas didn't mean for this to happen. How could his Father be so cruel?

"I need to see him, Cas," she said. She tried to get off the gurney. Cas grabbed her by the waist and put her back on the table.

"Stay here, please," he told her. "I'll get you a wheelchair." He turned to leave, and she said, "Cas?" He turned back around, and now she was crying. "It's good to see you," she said. "Thanks for coming."

Now he was crying, too. "As if I could be anywhere else," he said thickly, and he walked back and put his arms around her. "I love you, Gail," he said, and the lump came to his throat when she returned his embrace. "I love you too, Cas," she said. "I still love you."

They wept together for a minute, and then he went to get the wheelchair, wiping the tears from his face with the backs of his hands.

Dean was sitting at Sam's bedside, staring at his brother. He still couldn't believe that Sammy was in a coma, that he wasn't just playing some kind of elaborate prank on Dean.

The door opened, and Cas pushed Gail into the room. He wheeled her up to where Dean sat, and Gail took Dean's hand. Then she put her other hand on Sam's leg. "How is he, Dean?" Gail asked.

"I don't know," Dean said gravely. "The doctors said all we can do now is wait for him to wake up." He swallowed hard, and tears sprang to his eyes. "IF he wakes up."

Gail threw her arms around Dean's neck. "No, Dean, don't talk like that. He's going to wake up, and he's going to be all right. You've got to believe that."

Dean gave her a brief hug, but he was frowning. "When have things ever worked out for us, Gail?" he said cynically.

"Well, then, the odds are in our favour," she said lightly, trying to make him smile.

But Dean couldn't, of course. He was sick with worry. He looked down at Sam, half-expecting him to open his eyes once he'd realized Gail was here.

Cas moved forward and put his hand on Dean's shoulder, and Dean put his hand on top of Cas's. "I'm so sorry, Dean," Cas said.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean said. Then he looked at Gail. "How are YOU?" Dean asked her.

Gail sighed. "I'll be all right, Dean. Cas did everything he could."

"I'm glad you're here, Cas," Dean told him. "How have you been? What have you been doing?"

Cas told him, and Dean smiled. It was the first genuine smile he'd had ever since he'd gotten the phone call, but it felt weird on his lips, so he stopped.

"And, speaking of which, I need to talk to Bobby and Gail for a moment." Cas smiled gently at Dean. "Sam will be fine, Dean. I'm sure of it."

Dean wasn't so sure, but he appreciated Cas's words of support anyway. He'd missed his friend, and Dean found it amusing that Cas was working on the set of that TV show again. "Thanks, Cas."

Cas gestured to Bobby, and Bobby came around from the other side of the bed. "Can I have a word with you two in the hall?" Cas asked them quietly.

Once outside the room, Cas said, "I have to be back for an early morning call. But if either of you needs me to stay, I'll just call them and tell them I can't make it. I'll probably get fired, but all of you are much more important to me."

Bobby shook his head. "No, go ahead and do your thing, Cas. There isn't much any of us can do at the moment."

"Can't you do anything to help Sam, Bobby?" Gail asked him. "You're God, aren't you?"

Bobby sighed. "I keep telling everybody: I'm not God, I just have his job. But I don't know what even God Himself could do in this situation. It's not the physical injuries that are the problem. I can heal a lot of those. Sam's in-between right now, that's the problem. In Heaven's terms, he's in Limbo."

Cas was startled. "Then you can go and get him," he said to Bobby. "I got Kevin's mother, when she was there."

"It's just his mind that's there, Cas," Bobby pointed out.

Oh, Gail thought. Crap. Cas was disappointed, too. There had been so many hard feelings between him and Sam lately, but Sam was still Cas's friend, and Cas had hoped that one day, they could be on friendly terms again.

"I'll leave you two alone to talk for a minute," Bobby said to them. "Thanks for coming, Cas," he said, shaking Cas's hand. Then Bobby went back into Sam's room.

Cas was miserable. He wished everyone would stop thanking him for coming. As if he would be able to be anywhere else. They were his family. He looked down at Gail. Poor thing, sitting in a wheelchair with the cast on her leg. He should never have left. Cas felt responsible for the accident, even though he knew that made no sense. It seemed like he couldn't remember a time when everything wasn't his fault; maybe that was why. And he was lonely without his family. The people on the set were nice to him, but it wasn't the same. They would be shooting the season finale soon, and then they would have no need for his services over the summer. What would he do with himself then?

Gail was looking up at him, and Cas didn't want to just stand there looming over her, so he got down on his knees in front of the wheelchair so he could look her in the eyes.

"How have you been, Gail?" Cas asked her. She lifted an eyebrow. "I mean...you know what I mean."

Gail gave him a thin smile. "I know, Cas. I'm actually glad you asked me that." She proceeded to tell him what she'd been working on with the new board, and her smile became genuine as she warmed to her subject.

Castiel was impressed. Gail was the head of the new board? He could never have imagined that. But he knew that she was smart, and she obviously really cared about updating the ancient laws to benefit the Angels. He had never been prouder of her.

"Frank once teased me about being a politician," Gail said with faint amusement. "I guess I sort of am one, now."

Castiel's heart swelled with love for her. "Can I give you a kiss, Madame Chairwoman?" he asked Gail, smiling gently.

Her mouth twitched. "Chuck called me that once, and I threw the rule book at him," she said.

"So that's where the expression comes from," Cas quipped.

Gail laughed, but then she clapped her hand over her mouth. She shouldn't be laughing when Sam was laying in there, in a coma. Hopefully, they hadn't heard.

Cas leaned forward and gently removed her hand from her mouth. He kissed it, then kissed her on the lips. "I'm so proud of you," he told her.

"Me too," she said in a small voice. "And how are you doing?"

Cas sighed. "All right," he answered. "But I miss you all so much." For one crazy moment, he thought about telling her what he had been doing when Bobby had phoned him to tell him about the accident, but that wouldn't be right. It was the monster who had blackmailed her into staying with him by threatening suicide. Cas was not like that, and he could never do anything like that to her.

"I miss you too, Cas," Gail said. "Why don't you drop by a board meeting when you're not shooting? I'm sure everyone would like to see you. And you can vote on whatever comes up that day. Bobby's kept your name on the slate. That means you're entitled to attend any meetings you choose. And we've been meeting every morning lately cause we're working so hard to change the ancient laws."

Cas thought about it for a moment. He used to hate board meetings when Xavier was in charge. But now, Gail and Bobby were, and maybe it was high time that Castiel returned to Heaven. Besides, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Gail again, and to see her in action.

"I'll find out the schedule tomorrow," Cas told her. "And I'll be at the first meeting that I possibly can." But as Gail began to smile, Cas thought of something, and he frowned. "How has my absence been explained?"

Gail's smile faded. "Bobby's told everyone you're on a sabbatical. But I think that Kevin and Ethan might have an idea that there's more to it than that. Chuck and those guys are like the Three Musketeers, and they've made a few comments that lead me to suspect that Chuck may have told them a little more than Bobby would have liked."

Cas's heart sank. He wondered how much their Angel friends really knew. But he supposed he should be grateful that Bobby had come up with something to tell everyone, and that it wasn't all over Heaven by now. Still, it would be a bit daunting to face Kevin and Ethan now. They had been so good to him and Gail during the tribunal, and they, along with Chuck, had been instrumental in forming an "anti-Xavier" group of Angels in protest of Xavier's proposed regime. And now, as board members, the three of them would all be there in the same room when Castiel walked in. But Gail was the Chairwoman, and she had invited Cas to come. There was no way that he could refuse such a request. It had taken a devastating car accident to do it, but they would be together again, if only in a professional capacity. Still, that gave Cas hope that Gail might be on the road to forgiveness.

Thus encouraged, Cas reached for her hands and took them in his. "I've committed to Richard to finish out the season," he told her, "but soon they'll be taking the summer break. Do you think you might want to come and visit, if your leg is better by then?"

But she was shaking her head. "I can't leave here, Cas. Even if we're finished drafting the new laws by then, I'll have to stay here and look after Dean. Until Sam wakes up, I know Dean won't get any sleep, and he won't eat unless I shove food into his face. I'm going to have to make sure he takes care of himself. Sam will need us both when he wakes up."

Cas nodded. He understood, of course. The Winchesters had taken care of her many times; now Gail needed to take care of them. And she was doing important work in Heaven. But he felt disappointed. He had been so hoping to spend some time alone with her. But she had other priorities right now, and he must not push her.

"Gail!" It was Frank. He rushed out of the elevator and to his sister's side. "Cas," he nodded coolly, and Cas said, "Hello, Frank." He rose to his feet.

Frank looked down at Gail. "I came back to the bunker, and Kevin told me where you guys were. Are you gonna be OK?"

Gail nodded. "Yeah, I'll be all right. Cas fixed what he could, and the leg will just have to heal itself."

"Where's Sam?" Frank asked her.

Gail gestured to Sam's room. "In there. Dean and Bobby are with him. He's in a coma, Frank."

Her brother was shocked. "Oh, my God. Holy crap. What happened, Gail?"

She shrugged. "I don't really know. They told me a truck hit us. Sam got the worst of it, obviously."

"I'm going to go in and see him. Are you allowed to go home?" Frank asked.

She looked startled. "I don't know. I'm kind of AWOL from the emergency room. But I don't know if they'll even notice, they were so busy. Maybe I should just leave. Cas healed a lot of my wounds, and if they want to have another look at me, that's going to be impossible to explain. But they took my clothes, and I don't know where they are. I guess I could just pop home like this." She looked down at herself. She had the hospital gown on, and it didn't exactly cover everything. She could try to dress when she got home, but all she had were pants, and there was no way she was going to be able to get them on over her cast. "I guess I'll have to raid Sam's closet for one of his shirts again," she said. Then the tears started to come. Sam had to be all right; he just had to be. If anything happened to him, it would be her fault. Her and her stupid paper.

"I'll come back with you," Cas offered quickly. "I can help you."

Frank gave Cas a baleful stare. "Well, aren't you just the Boy Scout," he said sarcastically. "Where have you been all this time?"

Cas was surprised. "In Vancouver, Frank. Working. Surely they told you that."

They had, of course. But Frank hadn't forgiven Cas, and he hadn't forgotten what Cas had done to his sister.

Gail sighed. "We've been over this, Frank. Not everything is Cas's fault, you know."

"Are you sure?" Frank retorted. "Are you sure he wasn't driving that truck? I'm sure he'd love to get rid of the competition."

Cas was astonished. How could Frank say such a thing? If Frank thought he was being funny, Cas wasn't laughing.

Neither was Gail. "You need to shut up, Frank," she hissed at him. "Go see Sam."

"OK. Wait here, or come in, if you want," Frank said to her. "I'll take you home after."

"No, Cas will take me home now," Gail said sharply. "And we'll expect an apology from you when you get there."

But then Frank surprised her. He looked at Cas and said, "Never mind. I'll apologize now. I'm sorry, Cas. I shouldn't have said that."

Cas was surprised, too. Frank had hurt him with that comment, but at least he was apologizing for it. "It's OK, Frank," Cas mumbled. "I know you're just upset."

Gail looked from one man to the other. Not exactly the most heartwarming of exchanges, but considering the way things had been between the two, she'd take it. Still, she'd better have a talk with Frank. He couldn't just go shooting off his mouth like that.

Frank leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Gail, I didn't mean it," he said to her, and she smiled then. "Wow, two apologies in two minutes. Don't wear yourself out," she quipped. Her brother laughed softly.

Castiel stared at the both of them. He didn't know if he'd ever get used to the way they talked to each other sometimes. In a lot of ways, they reminded him of Dean and Sam. He looked at the door to Sam's room. Despite what Frank might think, Cas really did want Sam to be OK. He loved Sam. And even if Sam loved Gail, that didn't mean that Gail loved Sam back. Well, not in that way, anyway. Envy was one of the Seven Sins, and Jealousy was its cousin. So was selfishness. Cas had never been jealous of Gail's love for the brothers, nor of Chuck, or Kevin, or Ethan. That had been the Demon, poisoning his mind. Why shouldn't she love their friends? They certainly all loved her, and with good reason.

And she loved her brother, and so Cas needed to be patient with Frank. Next to Gail, of course, Cas had probably hurt Frank the worst of all with the things that he had done.

Cas extended his hand to Frank. "It's good to see you, Frank," he said to Gail's brother.

Frank looked at Cas's hand for a moment. But Gail was looking up at him with her doe eyes, and her brother shrugged. He guessed he appreciated the fact that Cas had apparently come here to be with Gail, and to heal her. So he briefly shook Cas's hand, and then he turned and went into Sam's room.

Cas was happy. However briefly, Frank had shaken with him, and that meant a lot to Cas. He smiled at Gail. "Come on, let's get you home," he said to her. He reached down and gathered her up in his arms. She put her arms around his neck and he popped them out of the hospital.

Frank had made that crack about Cas driving the truck out of sheer spite, as payback for what the bad version of Cas had done to Gail. Intellectually, he realized there was a big difference between Angel Cas and Demon Cas. He and Gail and the Winchesters had had many long conversations over the past couple of months about that very subject. But as the many stories about good Cas began to emerge, Frank had started to come around a bit. Then Bobby had chipped in his two cents, saying that Cas was a good Angel and a good man who had been dealt some really bad hands over the centuries. Gail seemed to vacillate between being angry at Cas and wanting him to do penitence, to talking about him lovingly, to bawling like a baby over the fact that she missed him so much. If she hadn't been an Angel, Frank would almost swear sometimes that she was on her monthly cycle, her mood changed so often. The slightest little thing could set her off sometimes. So he'd tried to go out of his way to be kinder to her, but that wasn't the type of relationship they were used to having. They loved each other, of course, but the rose of their relationship had always had some thorns, and the conversation they had just had was more indicative of their true relationship.

God knew that fact, of course, and He was also happy to see Castiel and Gail back at the bunker together now. He had kept to his vow to Himself not to fiddle with the dials for a while, letting His children make their own choices. But while He had been glad to see the Winchesters, Bobby, Gail and Frank together as a family unit, there was still something wrong with the picture. God approved of Gail's handling of the board, and her determination to see the new laws written and enacted; He thought it was high time. Many of His ancient laws needed to be updated, and God didn't mind a bit if the Angels were able to feel free to express their love for each other. Love was what life was all about, after all. He had always meant for love to trump everything. So while He was happy that Gail had found a purpose, He also saw her crying in her room every night when everyone else had gone to bed. And God could see Castiel, looking at Gail's photo and turning his blade over in his hands, debating. Night after night God was subjected to these same scenes, and when Sam had begun to become a little bolder in his show of physical affection for Gail, God became uneasy. So He'd gone back to fiddling, and then the truck came.

God really hadn't wanted Sam to die. God liked Sam, and He heartily approved of what Dean and Sam did, protecting people and ridding the Earth of monsters. Sam was a good man with a good heart, and he deserved a good woman. And while Gail was a good woman who should have been an ideal fit for Sam, God could see that her heart just wasn't in it. For better or for worse, she belonged with Castiel. God could see that now; he should never have messed with the two of them. Whatever variation God had tried, whatever tweaks He had made to alter the picture, it always seemed to come back to those two. Could it be that some couples were just meant to be together, no matter what the cicumstances or the timeline, or even what God had to say on the matter?

So God had sent the truck, and the accident's chief purpose was to reunite Castiel and Gail. Neither had made any sort of serious move to contact the other, even thought both had picked up the phone numerous times. And God didn't like the fact that Sam seemed to think that it was only a matter of a little more time before he and Gail would become a couple, instead. And God REALLY didn't like the sight of His Son holding the Angel blade at night and crying. God had needed to step in before the situation got away from Him once again. And it seemed like what He had done had finally worked. Castiel and Gail were at the bunker together now, and Cas was being kind and solicitous, hovering over Gail, wanting to take care of her. And Gail was happy that Castiel was there. Sam was temporarily out of commission, so the couple would be free to reestablish their bond. Then, when Castiel and Gail were reconciled, God could awaken Sam, and they would all help him heal as a family unit, together.

It was the perfect scenario. Unfortunately, God's children hadn't read the script.

Cas had winked them directly into Gail's bedroom, and he sat her in the chair as he went to the bed, turning down the sheets and arranging the pillows so she could sit up once he'd installed her there. Then he turned back to her. "Just a minute," he said. Then he walked down the hall to Sam's room and took one of Sam's shirts off the hanger. Then Cas came back to Gail's room, carrying the shirt. He stood over her, unsure of how to proceed. He didn't want her struggling to dress herself, but he didn't know if he should just go ahead and do it. He didn't want to be too forward. Funny he should feel that way now, when not too long ago they had been in that bed together, and his hands and mouth had been all over her, every inch of her. But he needed to give her the time and space that she required now. If he pushed her, she would push back, and then he would lose her.

Gail looked up at him and smiled, amused at his hesitation. She'd been thinking along the same lines as Cas. While some of their times in this room had been painful and bloody, there had been other times that she remembered quite fondly. A part of her wished that he would carry her over there right now and...No. She had to stop thinking like that. They were apart for a reason, and it was still way too soon.

But that didn't mean she was above teasing him a little. In rediscovering herself, she realized she had been missing her ability to make quips. That was a big part of who she was, and things had been too dramatic for too long between her and Cas.

"Little help here?" she said to him, raising her arms.

Cas gave her a slight smile. He draped Sam's shirt over the arm of the chair, then reached down and began to lift the hospital gown over her head.

"Funny, you never hesitated doing this before," she quipped, teasing him. "I'm starting to think you're not attracted to me any more."

He looked at her, startled, then saw that she was smiling. "I'm teasing, Cas," she said, seeing his expression.

Then he smiled, pleased that she was feeling relaxed enough with him to joke. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Never think that," he said, nuzzling her cheek with his. He made sure to shave his face very closely every morning these days. She may not have minded the stubble, but it had scratched her and hurt her, and he would not allow that ever to happen again. "If you only knew how much I..." Cas said in her ear, but then he made himself stop. That was enough. She was hurt, and she wasn't nearly ready enough for that kind of talk yet. So he lifted her gown up over her head and put Sam's shirt on her. She started trying to do up the buttons, but it was slow going for her.

Gail sighed. "I don't know why the buttons are backwards on these things," she groused.

"What do you mean?" Cas asked, puzzled. He had gently moved her hands away from their struggle and was deftly doing up the buttons for her.

"Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know," she said cheerfully. "Womens' blouses and mens' shirts have buttons on opposite sides. That's why I tried to buy tops without buttons. They're such a pain. Not that you ever worried about such things, of course," Gail teased him.

She'd been going for humour, but this time her joke fell flat. He looked into her eyes. "I'm so sorry for all the times I was rough with you, Gail," he said miserably. "I would give anything to take all of that back."

Gail sighed. "So would I."

Now they were both sad again. Cas finished buttoning the shirt, then he lifted her from the chair and placed her in the bed, drawing the covers over her. "Do you need anything?" Cas asked her. "Would you like a book, maybe?"

Gail thought for a moment. "Believe it or not, I feel thirsty," she said. "I think those drugs gave me cotton mouth. Do you think I could have a glass of water?"

"Of course," Cas said. "I'll be right back."

He left the room, and Gail wiggled around a bit, trying to get comfortable. The cast on her leg was heavy, and she wondered how long it would have to stay on. Maybe she should have stuck around the hospital long enough to find that out, she thought wryly. Oh well, too late now. Besides, she would have been busted if they'd seen her looking suspiciously healed after Cas had come to visit. She'd just have Frank take her back to the hospital tomorrow, when there was different staff on. She would have to check on Sam's condition anyway, and she and Frank could make Dean come back to the bunker and get some sleep. Gail knew that Bobby would watch over Dean tonight, and Sam too, and he would call if there was any change.

Cas came back into the room with a glass of water in his hand and as he brought it to her, the deja vu hit them both like a tidal wave. They were transformed back to the night she had brought him the cure for his fading Grace in a cup of water on the very first night that they had met.

They looked at each other as Gail took the glass from him. She drank from it, then gave it back to him, and he set it on the nightstand.

"Come here," Gail said softly, patting the bed beside her. Cas sat there, and he frowned as he looked at her. "You've cured me twice now, and I don't think I ever thanked you properly either time. I was too shy the first time, and too overwhelmed by the miracle. And this time..." his voice broke, and she instinctively touched his face. He put his hand over hers, appreciating her gesture. "This time, I was too ashamed," he went on. "I don't deserve you, Gail. I don't deserve to be here with you. I don't deserve to be anywhere." Cas started to cry.

Gail didn't know what to do, or what to say. She felt badly for him, but she also felt badly for herself. Did he think that he was the only one who was suffering here? He wasn't. She removed her hand from his face.

"Stop talking like that," she said sharply. "I thought you were working on feeling better about yourself. That's what I've been doing. That's why I thought you might want to come back to Heaven and vote on some of the laws we're proposing. We need a purpose to our lives, Cas."

"You're my purpose," Cas said quickly.

Gail shook her head. "No. I don't want you to say that. That's too much pressure on me. If, and I mean IF, we get back together, I want it to be because I want to. Because WE want to. But I'm not going to come back to you because I'm afraid of what you'll do if I don't. That's why I ended up staying at the house way longer than I should have, and it's the wrong reason."

She was right, of course. What was wrong with him? Cas had vowed to himself that he was not going to pressure her in any way, but here he was, doing it anyway. He should not say such things to her. "You're right, Gail. Please forgive me," he said softly.

"I just want you to be all right, Cas," she said sadly. "At least tell me you're enjoying being back on the set. How's the job going?"

He brightened, and began to tell her about his experiences on the set. He had met most of the actors who played the principal characters by now, and they were all nice, even the man who played Crowley.

"Really?" she said, smiling. "Well, I guess Crowley's not really so bad in real life, either. Not when you compare him to certain Angels I know, anyway."

Castiel frowned, and she thought he had misunderstood her. "No, I didn't mean..." she said hastily.

But Castiel shook his head. "It's not that. It's - " He cleared his throat. "Have you been seeing Crowley?" He hadn't liked her affectionate tone when speaking about his Brother. Did she still feel the blood bond?

"Once or twice," Gail answered casually. She wondered if she should be telling Cas this. No one else knew. But it was all very innocent, she told him. She'd needed help with some of the ancient Enochian passages, and Kevin and Sam's knowledge only went so far. Now that she was an Angel again, she couldn't descend, of course, so she and Crowley had gone to a diner and sat there, poring over the text. He had helped her a lot, and it wasn't as if she was giving away any state secrets, or anything. Crowley was well aware of the ancient laws. He himself went back to Creation, after all. He had made a few snide comments about the laws that had to do with physical intimacy and homosexuality, of course. He was still who he was. But Gail had rebuked him sharply, and then Crowley had smiled. He had grown to like her and even more importantly, he had grown to respect her. His Brother was an idiot, and Crowley was glad the two of them were separated. Castiel's absence had removed the dark cloud from Gail's existence, in Crowley's opinion, enabling her true light to shine forth.

"Maybe I should see if he can heal my leg," Gail mused.

"I don't want you to even think about suggesting that," Castiel said angrily.

"Excuse me?" Gail said tartly. "I don't recall asking for your permission."

Castiel was alarmed. She did still feel the bond, then. She must. Didn't she know how bad it was, sneaking around to meet with the King of Hell while she was in the midst of revising Heaven's laws? There was no way that she should be sharing that sort of information with Crowley. What if Crowley were to use his influence on her to make sure no laws were changed that would conflict with his own agenda? He said this to Gail, then winced when she exploded in anger.

"How dare you?" Gail yelled, her eyes blazing. "Are you accusing me of collusion? Or worse, are you suggesting I don't have a mind of my own? Well, it just so happens that he didn't like the fact that Bobby and I are drafting a major change to the suicide clause, and I told him that was too bad!" She had leaned forward in her intensity, but now Gail sat back against the pillows, letting out a frustrated breath. "I'm not some dewy-eyed damsel in need of rescuing any more, Cas. I know who he is, and what he is. But he doesn't scare me. It wasn't too long ago that both you and I were sneaking around with him, if you recall. At least this time, it's for a good cause."

Cas gave up. He supposed she had made some points, but he had known his Brother a lot longer than she had, and he knew how manipulative Crowley could be. Demons in general were that way; it was in their nature. Cas himself had manipulated Gail many times when he'd been deep in the throes of the disease. But he preferred to think that she had let him do many of the things he'd done to her because deep down, she had loved him. But did she still? She'd said she did, but maybe she was just trying to placate him. She hadn't reached out to call him, had she?

"Where were you and Sam going?" he asked her suddenly.

"What?"

"Where were you and Sam going?" he repeated. "When the truck hit you."

She looked closely at his face. "What does that matter?" Gail asked him, suspicious. Was this his jealousy talking, now? She thought that had been the Demon who thought like that.

"I guess it doesn't," Cas answered, but he was still frowning.

"What are you getting at, Cas?" Gail asked him. As if she didn't have a pretty good idea. But she wanted to hear him say it.

Cas sighed. "He still loves you, doesn't he?"

Gail threw up her hands. "We just fought about Crowley. Now you want to fight about Sam, too?" Her eyes blurred with tears. Poor Sam. He needed to come out of the coma, and she needed to apologize to him about her stupid paper. She should have just used the damn computer.

"I don't want to fight at all, Gail," Cas protested. But she hadn't answered his question either, had she? She'd clearly been spending too much time in Heaven; she'd picked up the habit of avoiding direct questions. He supposed it was only right that he should be on the receiving end for a change.

"Forget I spoke," he said, lightening his tone. She was looking very unhappy now. "Do you want to play some cards? Maybe I can see if there's a TV I can bring in here, and we can watch for a while."

"Don't you have an early call at the studio?" she asked him.

"Yes, but you're way more important," Cas told her. "I need to take care of you, Gail."

"I can take care of myself," she said sharply. But his face fell at that, and she instantly regretted it. "I didn't mean it like that, Cas," she said, taking his hand. "I'm just worried about Sam, and about Dean. And about you and me."

"Why are you worried about us?" Cas asked her. But that had been a stupid question, really. They were living miles apart, and they were both miserable. He had noticed the pile of tissues in the wastebasket by the bed, but he hadn't let on.

"This is ridiculous," Cas continued, before she had a chance to answer his question. "What are we doing, Gail? This isn't the way it's supposed to be. We should be together. God Himself married us. Married people are supposed to live together."

"No, He didn't," she pointed out. "He just told Xavier He had, to shut him up. He told us it was up to us if we wanted to consider ourselves married or not, remember?"

"Yes, but - " Cas was puzzled. When he'd told them at the hospital that he was Gail's husband, in Cas's mind, he hadn't been lying. "What are you saying, Gail? Are you saying you don't want to be my wife?" He was really scared now. Surely she didn't mean that.

Gail sighed. "I don't know, Cas. Let's just say I need some more time to work on myself. And it would be good if you could do the same. I don't want low self-esteem to be holding us back from living our lives the way we should. Either of us," she emphasized.

There she went again, giving him an Angel answer to a very direct question. Well, at least she hadn't said she didn't want to be married to him. That would surely have prompted him to pick up the blade once he got back to Vancouver. Instead, he would need to focus on his work, and if he couldn't be with her when summer hiatus began, he would go back to the casino and play poker, and reconnect with their friend Barry. Cas was curious how he and Tommy were doing. Which prompted Cas to think about the ancient laws. What exactly did they state? And what were the changes that Bobby and Gail were proposing?

"Am I still welcome at the board meetings?" Castiel asked her.

"You're on the slate," Gail answered. But that was all she said.

Not exactly a warm invitation, but she had already said he could attend, telling him that he was entitled to be there. Cas thought about it. He'd always considered board meetings to be a waste of his time, but this was important legislation, and it would affect every Angel, both now and for generations to come. Maybe he did have a purpose, after all.

Cas stood up. "Do you need anything before I go?"

Gail looked at him, surprised. A moment ago he was talking about staying, and now he was leaving.

"No, Cas," she said.

He smiled gently. "I'd love to stay, but I'd better go. You were right, Gail. You have your purpose now, and I need to find mine. I'll finish out the season and do the best job that I can. Then I'll go to the casino and see Barry, and find out how he and Tommy are doing. And I'll attend as many meetings as I possibly can. We need to work together to make sure Heaven lives up to its name."

Gail's heart soared. That was more like it. She had been wanting to hear that from him. Before she and Cas had let their individual demons drag them down, they had been very good together. And no, she wasn't thinking about Metatron's poison. She was thinking about their individual low self-esteem, and their insecurities about themselves. If they could work on themselves separately for a while, maybe they could get back together as better versions of themselves. Maybe they could still be happy together. But not now, and not yet.

"OK, Cas. We're meeting every day this week. And I do mean every day; even the weekends. Bobby and I are slave drivers." Gail smiled. "But everybody's highly motivated. Maybe some more than others." She was thinking of Kevin and Becky, and Patricia and Bobby. And would the new legislation affect her and Castiel, as well? She'd actually never thought of that before. But she was thinking of it now. They had been humans when they had first made love, and then when they had been Angels again, that had stopped. And the last few months, they had been having sex pretty much non-stop, but they had been Demons, and they had been infected with the Sins. Were they bound by the legislation, too? She'd always thought that they were special, somehow; apart from all that. But why should they be any different? Because they were Originals? Or because she just wanted them to be?

"Do me a favour?" Gail said to Cas. She probably shouldn't be asking him this, but she was just too curious now. "Can you kiss me before you go?"

Cas smiled. He'd be glad to do that. He moved back to her bedside and sat down, taking her in his arms. He smoothed the hair back from her face and kissed her softly.

"That was nice, but I think we can do better than that," Gail said teasingly. "We always have."

Well, she was inviting him to proceed. Cas didn't mind being a bit more bold, as long as she was OK with it. So he kissed her again, and as she opened her mouth to him, his tongue tentatively searched for hers. She gave it to him, and he sighed contentedly. Cas loved kissing her like this. It was so intimate.

She came out of the kiss, looking into his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes. "Do you want to touch me, Cas?" Gail asked him softly.

Cas frowned. "Yes, I do. But I can't."

"Do you mean, you can't?" Gail asked him. "Or, you CAN'T?"

Castiel looked at her, puzzled. Were those hospital drugs still affecting her? That was a nonsensical question. But then, he got it.

"I don't know," he told her. "I just know it wouldn't be right. You're hurt, and you're vulnerable. And so am I." He rose from the bed, then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you in Heaven soon. Call me if there's any change in Sam's condition, please," he said to her.

"I will, Cas," she replied. She didn't know how to feel about what had just happened. That had been a very nice kiss, and it was the type of kiss Angels weren't supposed to be able to have with one another. But then she had invited him to take things a little further, and though he'd said he wanted to, he'd said he couldn't. Did he mean physically, or emotionally? Or both? Oh, well. He was leaving now, and maybe it was just as well. If he had been willing and able to touch her, maybe they would have gotten carried away, and then she might have regretted it. She still felt it was too soon.

"I love you, Gail," Cas said, smiling sadly.

"I love you too, Cas," she replied.

Once he heard that, Cas was able to wink out of her room and back to his apartment. He took the blade off the bed and stashed it in his blazer, the one he didn't wear to work. It didn't belong at work, and if anyone were to ever see it, that would lead to too many questions. But it didn't belong on the bed any more, either. She still loved him, but Cas had to prove his worth to himself now, before he could prove it to her. He would work hard, both here and in Heaven, and he would ban any negative thinking from his mind. He would make himself a better Angel, and a better man.

Gail sighed. For all her talk about Cas leaving, she'd really wanted him to stay. The room seemed so empty now that he'd left it. But at least she would get to see him at some of the meetings. She thought he would be quite impressed when he saw what she and Bobby were doing.

She shifted her body a bit, fluffing the pillows behind her head. Then she stared at the pictures on her wall, and now all three of the mens' faces made her feel like crying. The laws were important, and so was her relationship with Cas, but the most important thing now was Sam's recovery.

A month passed, then two. Gail popped into the library area from Heaven. She overbalanced, and Frank caught her just as she was about to fall.

"Thanks, Frank," she said gratefully. "I can't wait to get this damn cast off. Let's go." They were going to the hospital, where they were going to finally take the cast off her leg. Thank God. The lack of mobility had been driving her nuts. She'd tried crutches, but she didn't have the upper body strength. At least she could pop in and out of places. But the cast was heavy, and her leg was itchy, and she just wanted the stupid thing gone.

Before she went to see the doctor, though, they went in to see Sam. Dean looked up at them. "Hey," he said in greeting.

Gail frowned. He looked awful. There were lines on his face she had never seen before, and his complexion was pale. Now that summer was here again, Gail had been trying to encourage Dean to get out a bit more, at least take Baby for a drive, but he seldom left Sam's bedside. She and Frank and Bobby had ganged up on him from time to time and forced him back to the bunker for a decent night's sleep, and Gail made sure to cook him a big breakfast before he went back to the hospital. He would bolt it down, then race back to Sam's bedside. And every once in a while, Gail would tease Dean about how ripe he smelled, so then he would take an extra ten minutes to shower and change his clothes. But that was it. That was Dean's life now. Gail shuttled back and forth from Heaven to the bunker to the hospital and then back again, and Frank had been pressed into service to take care of things at the bunker, spell Dean if he needed a brief break, and drive Gail to the hospital and back. There were too many people coming and going at the hospital to risk being seen popping in and out.

Gail was standing on one leg, leaning against Frank, and Dean smiled faintly. "Here you go, Stork," he quipped, rising from his chair and putting his arm around her waist. He guided her into his chair and eased her down.

"Thanks, Dean," she said. "But you won't be able to call me that any more in one blessed hour. I have an appointment to get the damn thing off. Finally."

"I don't know whay you aren't using crutches, like everyone else on the planet," Dean grumbled.

"Hey, not everybody has muscles like you do," Gail teased, squeezing his bicep. She looked around the room. "Are you going to get another chair from somewhere?"

"No, I've gotta talk to Frank for a minute," Dean told her. "You talk to Sammy; we'll be back in a second."

Gail nodded, then looked down at Sam. He still looked like he was merely sleeping, as he'd looked on the night of the accident. His physical injuries had healed over time, but there had been absolutely no change in his condition otherwise. She put her hands on his arm and began to talk to him, telling him about her morning in Heaven. She and Dean both kept up long, running commentaries when they sat here visiting Sam. The doctor had said it might not help, but it couldn't hurt. She and Dean both felt like they needed to keep Sam in the loop. Who knew if he could hear them or not? If he could, they wanted him to know that they loved him, and they were waiting for him to come back to them. But there had been no reaction, none at all.

Dean and Frank moved out into the hall.

"What is it, Dean?" Frank asked him. He knew Dean very well by now, and he knew that something was bothering his friend. Well, something other than Sam being in a coma, of course.

"The doctor came to see me," Dean told Frank. "He asked me how much longer I was willing to wait."

Frank's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked Dean sharply.

"He's talking about pulling the plug, Frank," Dean said. Tears prickled at his eyes. "He said I need to start thinking about that. Sam could be brain-dead, Frank. He could be a vegetable." Tears started to roll down Dean's cheeks. "How could I let him live like that? You know how smart he is. He would hate that."

"No way," Frank insisted. "'He might be. He could be'. How the hell does anyone know what's gonna happen? Bobby doesn't even know."

Dean almost smiled. He had Bobby's voice in his head, saying he was God, not a psychic. Dean hadn't wanted to call Bobby in the middle of their meeting this morning, but he'd needed someone to talk to, and Frank was like another brother now. Dean couldn't talk to Gail about this. He knew she blamed herself for Sam's condition, and he had tried to tell her that it had just been a stupid accident, but he knew she didn't buy it. She would dissolve into hysterics if Dean told her he was thinking about pulling the plug. She would probably smack Dean in the face again. It had been a while since she had done that, but he couldn't rule it out. And Dean almost wished she would. Then maybe he could feel something again. Dean had been walking around like a zombie, shuffling back and forth from the hospital to the bunker and back again, numb to the core. When the accident had first happened, Dean had been extremely upset to see Sam in a coma, but he had been sure that Sam would come out of it quickly. He was strong. Look at all the crap they had been through all of these years. Sam had been in Lucifer's cage, for God's sake. And a careless driver's mistake was going to end Sam's life? Yeah, Dean didn't think so. But as the weeks piled up with no change, Dean had slowly begun to give up hope. And now the doctor was telling him that even if Sam ever woke up, his brain could be gone? How could Dean not consider pulling the plug? How could he consider doing it?

Maybe he should talk to Cas. Cas used to be Dean's friend, his best friend, and Dean guessed that he still was. But Dean never saw him any more. Apparently, Cas had been going to a lot of those meetings in Heaven, but aside from a couple of brief visits here to check on Sam, Cas hadn't been around. Maybe Dean should call him anyway.

"Do you think I should keep waiting?" Dean asked Frank.

Frank was uncomfortable. "I don't know, Dean. That's not for me to say. All I'm trying to say is that nobody knows what the future holds."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Dean said sardonically. That made him miss Cas again. Maybe he'd call him.

Frank took this with good humour. "Hey, that's what I'm here for," he quipped. "To help." But he really felt for Dean. What a horrible decision to have to make. Frank didn't know what he would do if it were Gail in that bed. Thank God she was an Angel; he'd never have to worry about anything like that.

Dean was frowning. "OK. I'll leave it alone for now," he told Gail's brother.

"You should have seen Cas," Gail was saying to Sam. "You know, there are times I think he might be smarter than you and me combined." She smiled. "Though we won't tell him that, of course."

She paused, as if waiting for a laugh. Then she continued. "We're just about finished now, and I've begun to delegate. So I asked Chuck to review the section on homosexuality, and he was going with Kevin's translation, which was very literal. But then Cas pointed out an error in the translation, which changed the meaning of the whole thing. Even Crowley didn't see it." She clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oops. I'm not supposed to tell you that." She had looked closely at Sam's face when she'd mentioned Crowley's name. If anything woke Sam up, she thought that might. She was still having her clandestine meetings with Crowley, and she still hadn't told anyone else about it. Cas had not asked her about it again; maybe because they had fought about it once, or maybe because they only saw each other in the boardroom with all the other Angels in the room. They hadn't been alone together since the night of the accident. He had suggested they get together after the meeting once or twice, but she had told him she had too much going on. And she did, but she had been wondering lately if she wasn't being a little too hard on him now. How much penance was enough? But she still felt like they should remain apart for some reason, and she did have an excellent excuse. Several, really. But even though Cas had seemed disappointed by her answer, he had not pouted, and he had not pushed. It seemed to her like he had turned a bit of a corner. He seemed a lot more relaxed and at peace with himself now. After the TV show wrapped for the season, Richard had told Cas the job was his if he wanted to keep it, and they would be resuming filming in August for the upcoming season. Now Cas alternated between attending the morning meetings in Heaven, playing poker at the casino, taking long walks, and studying the ancient laws at night to prepare for the next day's meeting. He was a little tan from his time spent outdoors, and he emanated calmness and serenity. Gail was happy to see him like that. What was she waiting for, really? What more did she need? But the laws weren't finished, and Sam was still in a coma. So she was in a kind of Limbo, too. Until there was a resolution to either situation, it was what it was.

Cas was in a sort of Limbo of his own, but he was feeling a lot better about himself these days. He had fallen into a routine, and many may have regarded it as being in a rut, but his routine was comforting to him. After all the ups and downs they had been through, it was nice to know what he would be doing every day, and that there would be no surprises. No shocks. He rose eagerly in the morning as soon as the clock told him it was time to get ready for the meeting, and he would shower, shave, and dress for his daily appearance at the meeting.

He would show up early and chat with his fellow Angels until everyone had arrived and Gail called the meeting to order. He smiled every time she did that, and she would give him a brief smile in return. I know, right? Gail's look would say, and his would say I'm so proud of you. They still had the ability to communicate with each other non-verbally, and he loved that about them.

At first, it had been nerve-wracking to walk into that room. So many memories. All those meetings over the centuries, him and the old guard, the supposed Upper Echelon. The others giving him snide looks and talking to him with thinly veiled contempt. Sometimes they didn't even bother to veil it at all. Then, the hostility-filled meeting after Las Vegas. And then the day Castiel had been God, and had decided the fates of all the former board members. And now he was walking in here again, knowing that Chuck, Kevin and Ethan all might be looking at him with hostility. But he made himself do it. It was high time he came back to Heaven, and what Gail and Bobby were doing was very important.

But the "Three Musketeers", as Gail referred to them, had been cordial to Cas. Welcoming, even. Unbeknownst to Cas, Gail had had a chat with Chuck the day before she knew that Cas was set to come for the first time.

"Look, Chuck," she had said. "You guys have been cagy about it, but I need to know: exactly what do Kevin and Ethan know?"

"What, you mean the other Musketeers?" Chuck asked her, grinning.

She hadn't ever said that to his face, but she should have known he would know. "Damn Prophets," she groused, but they were both smiling now.

"They don't know everything, Gail," Chuck told her, "but remember, Kevin's a Prophet too, and Ethan's smart as a whip. But don't worry; mostly they just know that something was wrong with Cas, but he's all right now. And that's all they need to know. We've talked about it many times, and they're the only ones who even know that much. I never betrayed your confidence, Gail. I would never do that. You're too good of a friend. You both are."

She had given him a kiss on the cheek and smiled. She wasn't one hundred percent convinced that was all the others knew, but that would have to do. "Okay, Chuck," she had said. "But if anybody gives Cas a rude look or a snide comment, they're going to feel my gavel upside their head, friend or no friend. So just make sure everyone behaves themselves."

Chuck had grinned again. Gail had been a brilliant choice for Chairwoman, if he did say so himself. She was highly intelligent, hardworking, and organized, and she wasn't above injecting some humour into the proceedings when they became too dry and boring. And she and Bobby had come to that first meeting very well prepared. Bobby didn't attend all of the meetings, but even when he did, he encouraged everyone to speak freely and make their opinions known, and Gail ran the show fairly, making sure everyone got to have their say on the issues being discussed.

Chuck could have told Gail not to worry so much. He and Kevin and Ethan had indeed talked about Cas and his recent situation many times, and the other two Angels were inclined to give Cas a break. He had been poisoned, but now he was cured. A lot of stuff sure happened to Cas though, didn't it? Kevin had said. Thank God everyone was OK now. And if Chuck knew otherwise, he kept his mouth shut. He knew that everyone was not OK, but Chuck thought that they would be, in time. Truth be told, of the three of them, Chuck himself had the most reason to be angry at Cas, since Chuck was the only one in Heaven who knew about Cas's brutality to Gail when he'd been in his Demon form. But Chuck figured if Gail was able to put whatever negative feelings she still had towards Cas aside enough to invite him to the meetings, Chuck could put aside his, too. Chuck had once been a very bad guy himself, and just look at him now. So he had advised Kevin and Ethan they were going with the "sabbatical" thing that Bobby had come up with, at least in front of everyone else, and the others had agreed.

Cas had been pleasantly surprised with his reception in the boardroom, and once he got a look at the materials, he knew he had to be here for as many meetings as he could. Funny how he had been around for so long, but he had never realized how Draconian the ancient laws really were. He had always taken for granted that Angels were that way simply because that was the way they were, himself included. It had never occurred to him that they were bound by a set of laws that were so outdated it was almost laughable. No wonder Cas had felt the urge to rebel against Heaven so many times. And no wonder he had always felt like an outsider there. God had left something out, or perhaps He had put a little something extra in, when He had created Castiel, and Cas had always had trouble following Heaven's rules. Now he saw why, and he understood why Gail and Bobby were working so hard to change the laws. So many things were technically a sin that it was ridiculous. Dean had never wanted to be an Angel, but if he saw this, he would have a heart attack. Castiel and Gail had always thought that Xavier and his Victorian attitudes were the problem, but it was these laws that were the real problem. Even married couples were not allowed to express any sort of physical affection for each other. Actually, no couples were, no matter what their marital status or particular orientation. If Barry and Tommy were to ascend, they wouldn't even be able to hold hands. Cas and Gail had exchanged a lot of glances when this particular legislation had been discussed. Fortunately, everyone on the board had eventually agreed it had to go, and a new clause was drafted that simply stated that a couple, any couple, could express their love for each other, however they saw fit. And that was it. That would be all that was required. Gail had proposed that they all give themselves a pat on the back after she'd handed the final draft of the clause to Bobby for inclusion in the book. "I'll do better than that," Castiel had said, and he had stood from his chair at the side of the table and walked to the end of the table where Gail sat. "Madame Chairwoman," he said, extending his hand to her. "I'd be careful with that," Chuck piped up. "I still have the scar on my head." All the Angels laughed, but Chuck instantly regretted it. That might have been a poor choice of words, considering. But Gail had laughed merrily, and then she had taken Cas's hand and stood with him as he kissed her full on the mouth. Everyone had clapped and cheered, and Cas and Gail had looked at each other with love in their eyes. That was the best moment they'd had in a very long time. Gail had touched Cas's face then, and then she had kissed Cas again, and the kiss had held until Bobby cleared his throat and banged Gail's gavel on the table, prompting everyone to laugh again.

That memory warmed and sustained Cas as he went about the rest of his daily routine, day after day, week after week. Barry greeted him with a hug every day when he went to the poker room, and Cas would play for a few hours, usually leaving a thousand dollars or so to the good. He used it to pay rent and keep a little spending cash, but the rest he gave to charity. Then he had an idea, and he began to put the cash into an envelope to give to Dean the next time he saw him. Cas had given the brothers a million dollars when he'd been God, but after the tale he had told Richard, Castiel realized that medical expenses indeed didn't come cheap, and maybe Sam would need long-term care when he awoke. Then Cas had another idea, and he started keeping a separate envelope. When he saw Richard next, Cas would hand Richard the money for the foundation that his boss volunteered for. The foundation that helped out battered women. Cas had a lot of atoning to do in that regard.

Barry had asked about Gail, and Cas had told him the cover story. Funny, that had turned out to be the truth, too. She WAS working on a very special project for Heaven. But Barry still thought it was weird. He and Tommy had had their ups and downs, and they were still having them, but Cas and Gail apart? That was unthinkable. Cas seemed cool with it, and he told Barry he was working with her on the project too, but surely Gail didn't work every hour of every day, did she? Why hadn't she been here, not even once? And sometimes, when Cas was between hands, Barry would catch him looking at the reception desk as if he was expecting Gail to be there, or hoping for her to be. The expression Cas had on his face at those moments was so wistful that Barry felt like crying. Or going up to Cas and shaking him, asking him what the hell was wrong between him and Gail. It was starting to drive Barry nuts.

Cas knew that, of course. He wasn't an excellent poker player for no reason. But there wasn't much he could do about it. Or was there?

One day, when he caught Barry frowning at him for the umpteenth time, Cas reserved his spot and stepped away from the table, calling Gail on his cell phone. They did speak like this sometimes now, but their conversations focused on the laws, or on Dean and Sam. Pretty much just business. But Cas thought he would extend the invitation, anyway. If she didn't accept, he was no worse off.

"Barry is driving me crazy," he told her after they'd said their hellos. "He keeps asking when you'll come by. He says we're all working you too hard, and that you don't love him any more." Cas smiled. Barry had said all of those things, too, at some point.

Gail felt a little bad about that. She did love Barry. He had been a wonderful friend to her and Cas, especially to her, when she and Cas had lived there, and Barry's feelings would be hurt that she had not stopped in to say hello, at the very least. "Well, tell him he's in luck, then. Dean's rested and fed and back at the hospital, and I'm so sick of looking at ancient Enochian I could grab all those books and throw them out into the backyard right now. Maybe I could call on a flock of birds to fly by and poop all over them, or something." She smiled. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I could use a break. I could pop over there for a bit now, if you want."

Cas grinned. "That would be wonderful."

"Okay, give me a few minutes to change," she said. "I want to look good for Barry," she added teasingly. "Maybe I can pry him away from Tommy, if I play my cards right. So to speak."

Cas laughed. He was so excited that she was coming, and he knew Barry would be, too. "I'll see you soon, then. You know where we'll be."

"I remember it well," Gail said, nodding. They said goodbye, and she stood up and stretched. It felt so good to have both of her legs back. She had been so happy to get that stupid cast off. Now if only Sam would finally wake up, they could put that whole ugly incident behind them. But she was going to put those thoughts on the back burner for the next couple of hours. It was finally time for her to have a little fun.

Gail appeared around the corner of the casino building. She remembered this was a blind spot for the security cameras, and people never passed by there because it was so far away from the front entrance. Then she walked into the casino and took the escalator up to the poker room.

"What does a girl have to do to get a hug around here?" she said loudly when she saw Barry.

His back was to her, but he recognized her voice and wheeled around. Cas hadn't told him she was coming; he hadn't wanted to spoil the surprise. And it was worth it; the expression on Barry's face was priceless.

He rushed forward and hugged her, squeezing tightly. How great it was not to feel pain now when someone did that to her. Gail hugged Barry back, holding on for a moment, then she pulled out of the embrace and looked at his face. "Hi'ya, handsome," she said. "How goes it?"

"Shhh, you'll make Cas jealous," he teased.

"Ah, I'll risk it," she teased back. "How are you, Barry? How's Tommy?"

"I'm fine, and he's on the road right now," Barry replied. His face clouded a bit. "Still searching for that one big story." He lowered his voice. "Too bad he can't just write about you and Cas. That would be a hell of an exclusive."

Gail shrugged. "I don't know, Barry," she said, keeping her tome light. "We're kind of boring these days. I've been keeping my nose buried in centuries-old books, trying to translate the cure for insomnia."

He laughed. "I don't know what any of that even means, but you guys could never be boring. Let's go see Cas. He's committing his usual highway robbery over there." He wanted to see the two of them together. Seeing Cas without Gail was just too weird, and he wanted to see how the two of them behaved around each other, see if he should be worried or not.

"OK," Gail said cheerfully. Barry put his arm around her shoulders. "It really is great to see you, Gail," he said, smiling.

"It's great to see you too, Barry," she responded. She put her arms around him and gave him another hug.

"I see you two over there," Cas said lightly. "Should I be getting jealous yet?" Then he winced inwardly. Perhaps he should not have said that. But the three of them had always teased each other like that, and perhaps it was time to start again. There were so many things that could be taken two ways, but if they had to censor themselves every time they were together, they might as well not even speak. Knowing Gail as he did, Cas was sure she would agree.

Gail knew exactly what he was thinking. She'd seen the fleeting look of chagrin on his face when he'd made his comment, and she wasn't about to nail him to the cross over it. Just the thought that he'd been aware of how potentially loaded such a remark could be was enough for her. Not everything had to be an issue. She wasn't into being a martyr, and Cas looked way better in jeans and a shirt than he would in sackcloth and ashes.

She walked up to Cas and kissed him on the cheek. "Never," she said softly, and he took her hand, giving it a brief squeeze. He'd appreciated her gesture, and the fact that she was apparently willing to let go of what he'd said.

"I'll reserve," Cas said to her, but Gail shook her head. "No, don't do that," she said, smiling. "I think I might want to play a couple of hands. It's about time I tried it."

The other players at the table groaned. They were all men, and they played for high stakes here. It was obvious from what she'd just said that she'd never played before, and they were annoyed.

"Hey, Cas, if you want to teach your girlfriend how to play, why don't you do it on your own time?" one of the men complained. "We play big here. Maybe you should tell her that."

Cas glared lasers at him. "I won't be telling her anything. And if you don't like it, you're free to get up and leave. I could help you with that, if you like."

Barry stepped forward. He hoped there wasn't going to be trouble. Of the two players, he knew which one he'd rather keep, but Gloria would have a fit if he threw Pedro out. The guy played nearly every day, and he lost a ton more often than not. The rake on Pedro alone paid a lot of their salaries.

"It's OK, guys," Gail said lightly. "I'll only play a couple of hands, and if I lose big, you'll actually be taking Cas's money. I haven't got any." She grabbed one of Cas's racks of chips, and then looked at Barry. "Oops. Is there a list, or can I just sit in for a couple?"

"Go ahead. There's no list," he assured her. There was, of course, but this he had to see.

Gail started to move away to the other side of the table, then she looked down at Cas again, and took a second rack of chips from him. Cas's lips twitched as she walked around the table and sat opposite him. God, she was cute. Now she was taking the chips out of the racks and arranging them by colour on the table in front of her. "I think I'll build a tower," she said pertly, to no one in particular. Barry had to avert his head to keep from laughing as Pedro sat back down. He couldn't leave now. Cas had a lot of Pedro's money, and here was an excellent chance to get a lot of it back.

Gail did know how the game was played, of course, but as the first two hands were dealt, she started to wonder what the hell she was doing. These guys did play big, and she was probably in over her head. Should she really be risking Cas's money so frivolously? So she chickened out and folded on the first turn of the cards for the first two hands.

Pedro was glaring at her. "If you didn't come to play, why did you sit down?" he said angrily.

"She can play however she sees fit," Cas told Pedro in his quiet voice. "Nobody is forcing you to sit here. My offer of assistance still stands."

But Gail was shaking her head. "No, Cas, he's right. I said I was going to play." She looked at Barry, who was still hovering at the table. He'd wanted to watch her play, and he was also watching Cas. He looked like he was about one hand away from leaping across the table and strangling Pedro with his bare hands.

"Barry, could I get a glass of wine?" Gail said. She grabbed her reserve token, but he told her, "No, sit. I'll get you one."

They played another hand, and Gail stayed in with a pair of 10s. Cas folded, but Pedro stayed in, and he raised Gail twice. She thought about folding a couple of times, but when a pair of 3s appeared on the flop, she decided to stay in. Pedro raised once more, then the action was over and Gail turned over her cards. "Two pair," she said. Pedro turned his over then. He had a 3. "Three of a kind." Crap. Pedro raked in the chips, smiling. Barry had arrived with her glass of wine, and Gail was wondering if she should just get up and leave the table. She looked at Cas, who shrugged. "Hey, it happens," he told her. "Have your wine and play a few more hands. I have more chips if you need them."

Gail made a face, then took a swig of wine, thanking Barry. Cas was being kind. She shouldn't have sat down in the first place. But he had always made it look so easy, and she'd wanted to let her hair down a little. After all the hard work and all her worry about Sam and Dean, not to mention her heartbreak about Cas, wondering whether she could ever turn to him with an open heart and say she forgave him, Gail had wanted to finally have a laugh. But this clearly wasn't the way to do it, and no one at the table was laughing. But her feminist dander was up now. So she was a woman, so what? The last time she looked, you didn't need a penis in order to play a card game. She had taught Cas how to play cards in the first place, when they'd needed something to do to occupy themselves in all those motel rooms while Sam and Dean got some rest. She took another swig of wine. "OK, deal me in," she said.

Cas won the next hand. Gail had stayed in, and the pot had been fairly sizeable, but that was OK. He was just getting his own money back, anyway. Her "tower" was dwindling now, though. She'd just play one more hand, finish her glass of wine, and then see if Barry could take a break so they could visit. There was no way she was spending any more of Cas's money.

Then she got the dream hand, or at least she hoped so, anyway. She had two Queens, and two more came out on the table. Four of a kind! But there were also two Aces on the table. Cas raised, and so did Pedro, and the other players all met their raises. Oh, God. She had a great hand, but so could anyone else. She went over the possibilities in her mind. If anyone had an Ace, they would have a full house, but her four of a kind would knock them out. But those two Aces bothered her. If she had received two Queens, could one of the men not have two Aces hidden? Then the last card was dealt. She had been praying for an Ace, and then she would know for sure. But it was an 8. No help there. That's what she got; an Angel, praying at a poker table in a casino for a particular card. She ought to be ashamed of herself. But somehow she didn't think Bobby would hold that against her.

Cas raised again, but so did Pedro, and now she was really worried. The other players dropped out, and it was down to her. She sighed. "All in," she said, pushing the remainder of her chips towards the centre of the table.

Pedro looked at her and grinned. Oh, God. He had them. She just knew he did. Or Cas could have them. That would be all right. But she really wanted to win this hand, just on general principles. Her heart was hammering in her chest. How could Cas do this every day? It would kill her.

She looked at Cas, raising an eyebrow to him, but he looked at her evenly, a neutral expression on his face. Of course; he'd had years of practice. Dean could have told her she was barking up the wrong tree there.

Cas matched her bet, and Pedro went all in, too. Fortunately, he only had enough left to match her bet. She didn't want to go running to Cas for more money.

"Cas?" the dealer said, and now he did smile. "Should I raise?" he asked Gail, his eyes twinkling.

"You can if you want," she retorted, but she was starting to smile, too. "I'll just be taking it from you."

His smile widened. "Well then, I believe that's what they would call a moot point. Check."

They looked at Pedro, but of course, he had no more money to raise, and neither did Gail. She looked at the mounds of chips on the table. Oh, God, there were thousands of dollars there. What had she done? She was going to ask Barry to have her banned from the casino. Maybe she would have to take a swing at Pedro herself, after he won the hand. That ought to be enough to do it.

Pedro turned over his cards. "Full house," he announced. "Aces over." He only had one Ace.

Oh, thank God. Gail looked at Cas, puzzled. Then he turned over his cards. "The same," he said. He had the other Ace.

Gail started to smile. She knew she should act cool, but she couldn't help herself. She drained the rest of her wine, then turned over her cards. "Four Queens," she said. Then she turned and looked at Pedro. She shouldn't. She really shouldn't. "They're females, too," she quipped. Oh, God, she really shouldn't have said that.

But the rest of the players at the table laughed, and so did Cas and Barry. Barry knew he shouldn't be pissing off Pedro like that, but she was just so damn cute, and he was happy for her. She had really shown those guys something.

Pedro stood up quickly, and both Cas and Barry tensed, but Pedro merely gave Gail a mock bow and said, "So they are. All yours." He glared at Cas. "I'll see you tomorrow." Then Pedro started to leave, but Barry put his hand on Pedro's chest to stop him. "You can play as big and as hard as you want to," Barry warned Pedro, "but if you start anything with him, you're gone."

Pedro glared at Barry too, but he said, "I just meant, I'll be here tomorrow to try to win my money back. That's all." The truth was, he didn't want to mess with Cas. There was just something about the guy.

"OK, Pedro." Barry removed his hand, and Pedro stalked off. Then Barry turned back to the table. He grinned as he looked at Gail, who was sitting there open-mouthed, trying to estimate how much money she had just won. "Need some help there, Gail?" Barry said dryly.

She snapped to. Oh. Of course. She should grab the chips and get out of the way.

Cas was grinning. He was so happy for her, and so proud of her courage in staying in. Yes, she'd had an excellent hand, but so had he, and so had Pedro. He'd had no idea what she'd been holding, and he'd been worried that she had stayed in too long with a lesser hand. He didn't care about the money; he'd just wanted her to win a hand. But he had played it just like he would have with anyone else. He knew she wouldn't like it if he had gone easy on her, and now her victory was that much sweeter because she had truly bested both Cas and Pedro. He was glad that Pedro hadn't gotten angry at Gail, though. He hadn't punched anyone out on her behalf in quite a while. He had been the one to be punched, instead, and rightfully so. But he didn't want to spoil this moment by thinking of that right now. He would always keep it close because he should never forget, but right now he just wanted to celebrate her victory with her. Just look at her.

Gail had grabbed a few empty racks from a side table and was putting the chips in them indiscriminately. She couldn't take the time to sort them; they would want to keep the table moving. Barry was helping her, but there were so many. Gail's eyes were wide. Holy crap. How much was it? And what was she going to do with it?

"Here, allow me to help," Cas said, and he started to rack some of the chips, too. He looked at the dealer. "Cashing out," he said, tossing a few of his own chips to the dealer for a tip. "Sorry, guys," Cas said to the other players, "but I think Gail might have to buy me dinner. Or maybe a new car." The men laughed again. "Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow," Cas told them.

"I won't be," Gail said, glancing at them. "I'm officially retired." She patted her heart with her hand. "I don't know how you guys do it," she said fervently. That prompted another laugh, and one of the men said, "Bring Gail back any time, Cas. That was the most fun I've had here in a while."

Cas smiled as he accompanied Gail and Barry to the cash cage. "Me too," he said softly. "Me, too."

Gail stood there, holding all the bills in her hand. She still couldn't believe it. More than ten thousand dollars! She had never held that much money in her life.

"Here, let me hold that for you," Cas said softly as they left the casino. She had given Barry a big hug and a kiss on the cheek as they were leaving, and assured him that it wouldn't be so long until the next time she dropped by. "But next time, we go for coffee," she'd told him. "I'm never doing that again." Barry had laughed. He was happy that she'd won the hand, but he was far happier to see Cas and Gail together, and looking affectionate with each other. He guessed he'd been worried for nothing. Angels were eternal beings, after all, so if they had to be apart for a short while because of whatever was going on in Heaven, it was probably not as big of a deal to them. Barry missed Tommy a lot, and Tommy seldom called when he was on the road.

Gail gave Cas the money, and he stashed it in his blazer pocket, next to his blade. No mugger would dare.

"You should just keep it, anyway," Gail told him. "It's your money, really."

"No, it isn't," Cas protested. "I played it straight with you. You saw. You just outplayed us, that's all."

Gail smiled. He was being kind; she had just been incredibly lucky. But she couldn't resist teasing him. "Don't play games with a girl who can play better than you," she joked.

Cas thought about that. He knew she'd only been joking, but it was true. She had always been better than him at the things that truly mattered. She had doggedly pursued the cure for them, at great sacrifice to herself, and she had prevailed. And everyone who came into contact with her came away better for the experience. Even if she didn't want to come back to him, she was being generous enough to include him in the board meetings, enabling him to feel good about himself by participating in something that was much bigger than him. Something that would make history in Heaven, and would benefit all of their fellow Angels. And she was here with him now when she didn't have to be, and they had been enjoying each other's company. Could he really ask for much more?

But God wanted more. Even though this was nice, He wanted them back together before He awakened Sam. If Sam woke up now, Gail would put her heart and soul into nursing him back to health. Understandable, but if she spent that much time with Sam and Castiel was out of the picture for the most part, who knew what could happen? He continued to watch his Son and Daughter intently.

"Would you come to my apartment for just a moment? I want to show you something," Cas said to her as they stood outside the casino.

Gail's mouth twitched. "You're going to have to get a new pick-up line. That one's as old as the hills."

He smiled. "I think you'll appreciate this," he said.

She shrugged. "OK, Cas. Just for a minute, though. I really need to get back and hit the books again."

He took her hand and they walked around the corner to the blind spot, and then they were in his apartment. "Nice place," Gail commented, looking around.

"Wait here," he said. Gail sat down on the couch as he walked to the bedroom. He had deliberately winked them into the living room so she didn't think he was looking to take any liberties. He took the envelopes out of the drawer and brought them back to her, explaining what they were for.

Tears came to her eyes. "Oh, Cas. That's fantastic," she said. "Take the money out of your jacket and divide it up. I'll take Dean's back to him. And I'll kick his ass until he takes it."

"Good idea," he said. He took the money out of his pocket, then he looked at her again. "Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Of course I'm sure. What do I need with it? And this way, it's going to two very good causes," she said, smiling.

He divided the money and put it into the envelopes, handing Dean's to her. "I'm so glad we were able to do this," Cas said to her.

She didn't think she'd ever loved him more, or felt sadder. She knew the other envelope wasn't just a gesture for Richard, it was a gesture for her. "Sit down next to me for a minute," she said, patting the couch. Cas sat next to her, and Gail took his hand.

"I know I've been a bit standoffish, but there's been a reason for that," Gail told him.

"Of course there has been," Cas replied softly. "I know that."

"You do, but you don't," Gail said enigmatically. He looked at her, puzzled. After a moment, she continued. "I wanted you to do penance," she continued. "I wanted you to suffer." Cas opened his mouth to speak, to say that he understood. Of course he should suffer. He had certainly made her suffer, numerous times. And there was a long list of things he had to atone for. That was the way things worked. He knew that.

"I know that, Gail. I need to be punished for my sins," Castiel said calmly.

God perked up. Of course. Why had He not thought of that before? They may go ahead and revise the ancient laws if they wished, but that was the way it had always been. Adam and Eve. Sodom and Gommorah. The Flood. Although that one had come about quite differently than the Bible had depicted, God thought, chuckling. He looked fondly at Castiel. His Son, the screw-up. Hopefully, Cas would tell his Earthly family that story one day. It was a doozy.

But Castiel had given Him the idea. He and Gail could not get back together until His Son had done penance for all of the sins he had committed. God thought about that. Since they were putting a modern spin on the laws, He would put a modern spin on the punishments. He thought about the traditional punishments for the Seven Sins. Yes, He thought He had a way for Castiel to go through them all in one day. Then he would have done his real penance, and he and Gail could get back together once His Son had been wiped clean again.

"I don't want to punish you any more, Cas," Gail said sadly. "That's petty, and it's vindictive. I think we're much better this way. And I can see that you're doing much better now, and so am I."

Cas's heart soared to hear her praise. He thought so, too.

"So here's what I propose: Let's get the laws done. Then I'll focus all my energies on Sam. When he wakes up, and I know that he and Dean will be all right, you and I can talk again about making a change in my living arrangements."

Cas wasn't sure how he felt about what she'd just said. It was still pretty noncommittal, wasn't it? But, baby steps. He knew they were very close to finishing the final draft of the new laws, and he also knew that Gail felt she could not just leave Sam and Dean, when they both needed her so much. Cas knew that without Gail, Dean would kill himself with worry, and he would not eat or sleep without her constant vigilance. So he had to accept that, and no matter how much he wanted to, Cas wouldn't sink to his knees and tell her how much he needed her, too. He guessed he hadn't done enough penance yet. How much was enough? He would have to pray to his Father about that tonight.

God smiled, hearing Castiel's thought. He could help His Son with that. He sent a gentle reminder to Castiel about the punishments, sort of like a post-hypnotic suggestion. All new Angels had once learned about them at some point; Castiel must have just forgotten, since it would have been eons ago, in his case. Or maybe he'd been daydreaming in the back of the class that day. It wouldn't have been the first time. Oh, well. No matter. So Castiel was going to pray to his Father about it? Good. He'd get his answer soon enough. God loved Gail too, and He hadn't had the chance to be vengeful for quite a while. And if they still didn't get back together after Castiel had been through his penance, there was always Plan B. Or was it Plan D, or Plan E, by now? But God hoped He wouldn't have to resort to that. It could set off a whole new chain reaction. But God was now determined that the couple should reunite, come Hell or high water. God chuckled. He had amused Himself with that one. Crowley. The Flood. Yes, there were still so many things left to be decided.

Castiel sighed, but he knew that he had no right to ask for anything more from her. He was not entitled to receive her love, and he certainly didn't own her. If he had ever thought either one of those things, he'd been crazy. But he thought he was finally on his way to becoming the kind of man that could deserve her love. She had been right about that too, even though it had been a hard lesson. But she was going through the same thing, too. How could you truly love someone else if you thought nothing of yourself? And how could you expect them to love you, if you felt that way? The day that he and Gail could look at each other and say "I love you" without any equivocation, or without the other person secretly wondering why, they could really consider themselves married. He had to look at this the right way.

So he leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I had a really good time today," Cas told her.

"So did I," Gail said, smiling. He really was changing, she thought. He hadn't even frowned when she'd said what she'd said to him. But it was really how she felt. There needed to be a resolution to the situation with Sam before she could even think about doing anything else. Cas seemed to understand that, though. She was so proud of the both of them. Considering how bad things had been at a few points, she thought they had come a long way in the past few months.

"I'd better go, Cas," she said. She waggled Dean's envelope. "You were very sweet to do this. And, to do that," she added, pointing to the other envelope. She looked into his eyes and he nodded. Nothing else needed to be said about that; they both knew.

She kissed him on the cheek, and then she was gone.

Cas prayed to his Father, and then he started to look over his notes for the next day's meeting. He didn't blame Gail for having taken a break. This segment was extremely dry, and he didn't particularly care about the elections process in Heaven. Maybe he would propose that they just skip it altogether. The board was good the way it was now, and they were doing good work. Why should they have to have an election every year to decide who sat on it, and who presided? But Gail seemed to think it was necessary. There needed to be some kind of democratic process put in place, she'd argued. Imagine if the Angels had been able to vote Xavier off the board years ago, she had said. Maybe there would have been no tribunals, and no one would have been imprisoned or would have had to die, just because Xavier had thought that they should. She and Castiel had made eye contact when she had said that, and their eyes had held. He certainly couldn't debate with her about that. They both knew first-hand how damaging the tribunals process was. Castiel's had ended up costing them pretty much everything.

So Cas persisted, but he was tempted to just open the window and throw the books out of it, as Gail had threatened to do. It was summer, and it was hot, but he had taken some of his poker winnings and invested in an air conditioner. He knew how much Gail disliked the heat, and he had to admit this place was a lot more comfortable now. He had installed it himself, a fact of which he was extremely proud. But it was in the bedroom window, so Gail hadn't seen it. Maybe if she came here again, he would be able to show it to her. He'd thought about doing so tonight, but he hadn't wanted her to get the wrong idea. It was ironic, really. Less than six months ago, he would have led her into the bedroom and had her naked and on the bed within seconds, and even though he still wanted them to be able to do that whenever they both wanted to, he knew it wouldn't be right to even hint at such a thing right now. But, the times that she had been a fully willing partner and he had been gentle with her were some of his best memories, and he held onto those just as closely as he held onto all the times he had hurt her and abused her.

Cas's cell phone rang and he reached for it eagerly.

"Cas?" He looked at the Call Display; he didn't recognize the voice from the single word spoken. Unknown Number.

"Yes. Who is this?" Cas asked cautiously.

"It's Richard, Cas."

Oh. Now he recognized the voice. "Hello, Richard," he said.

"Are you enjoying your summer, Cas?" Richard asked him.

Cas smiled, thinking of this afternoon in particular. "Yes, I am," he replied. "I hope you and your family are, too. Actually, it's funny you should call. I'll have a nice surprise for you the next time I see you."

What could that possibly be? Richard wondered. Cas was a sweet guy, but he was a little left-of-centre. It could be anything. "Well, if you're free, you can give it to me tomorrow," Richard told him. "A bunch of us who are still in town are getting together and going to the fair. We thought you might like to come."

"The fair?" Cas said blankly.

"Yeah," Richard said. "The exhibition. You know: rides, games, food, shows. The fair."

"Oh," Castiel said. Right. He'd heard about those. It was nice that they wanted to include him, but he had the meeting in the morning, so he told Richard he already had a committment.

"Okay, well, we were planning to go in the morning to get in early, before all the lineups get too out of hand," Richard said to Cas. "Are you sure you can't get out of whatever it is that you've got? There are a lot of us going, and it should be fun."

Now Cas kind of wanted to go. He'd never been to a fair before, and tomorrow's meeting was sure to be dull, even with Gail chairing it. He wished she could skip it, too; he'd love to take her to the fair. But he was sure that would be out of the question.

"Can I have your number, Richard? I'll find out, and I'll call you back." Cas jotted down Richard's number, then he hung up and called Gail.

When she answered, she saw who it was that was calling, so she said, "I wish you'd been here to see the look on Dean's face when I gave him the envelope."

Cas smiled. "Was he pleased?"

Gail laughed. "You remember Dean, right? Of course not. He gave me one of his famous double-takes, and then he reminded me that he and Sam were millionaires."

"In other words, he was too proud to take it," Cas said dryly.

"Bingo," Gail said cheerfully. "But then I told him I was going to roll the envelope up, and one way or the other, he was walking into the hospital with it, and then I reminded him that I was an Angel, with powers that he didn't have."

Cas was amused. "So he was persuaded?"

"Nope," she said. "But then I added the clincher."

"What was that?" Cas asked, curious.

"I told him it was from you."

Silence.

"Then he took it, and then he started to blubber, and then I started, and then we were both a soggy mess," she told Cas. "Then I told him about our adventure this afternoon, and he laughed. He actually laughed, Cas. Do you know how long it's been - ?" She choked up. "And then he told me he was glad to hear that you and I had such fun together, and he wished he and Sam could have been there with us. Just like the old days. Then we cried some more. And then he left for the hospital." She was crying now, and Cas's heart hurt. And here he was, calling her about some stupid fair.

He hung up the phone and winked himself into the bunker. "I'm sorry. I just had to do this," he told her. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and cried, and Cas started to cry, too. "I'm so sorry, Gail," he said softly.

She pulled away from him and grabbed some more tissues from the ever-present box, giving him a few, too. "I knew we should have invested in that company," Cas said, pointing to the tissue box. Gail half-laughed, sniffling. They wiped their eyes, and he touched her face, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. "This has all been so hard on you," he said to her. "Things have been so hard on you for so long. And just when things had been getting better, I - "

"Don't," she said shortly. "Please, Cas. I can't take any more."

He nodded. She was right. They both knew what he had done. There was no need to talk about that, too. But she shouldn't be the one who was suffering; it should be him.

"I prayed after you left," Castiel told her. "And I'm going to pray to our Father again when I get back. I'm going to beg him to take the pain away from you and put it on me."

Gail shook her head. "I don't think it works like that," she said with a slight smile. "I guess you would know about that better than me. But I wouldn't want that, anyway. I know you're already in pain, Cas. So, why did you call me, anyway?"

He looked at her for a moment. "Oh. It was nothing."

"Why did you call me, Cas?" she persisted.

He sighed and told her about Richard's call.

"You should go," she told him. "It sounds like a lot of fun."

"I can't just walk out on you like that," he said, frowning.

"Why not? It'll be the world's most boring meeting. I even prepared a few jokes for the occasion. I wish we could drink coffee; everyone's bound to feel drowsy halfway through. Well, at least I know no one can fall asleep on me," she quipped.

"But you're upset," Cas said to her. He took her hands in his. "I can't leave you."

"You can, and you will," she said firmly. "If you had to hang around every time I - " She stopped herself. Now she was doing it. She wasn't going to tell him that she still cried every night because she missed him so much. That wouldn't be fair to either of them. "Please go, with my absolute blessing, and my deepest envy. You can try to win me a stuffed animal," she said, trying to sound cheerful. And if he did, she could put it next to her in the bed and pretend it was him, talk to it every night. But she wouldn't tell him that, either. Wasn't that what crazy people did?

"Now, go. Call Richard back before it gets too late. You can tell me all about it at the next meeting," she said, shooing him away.

Cas gave her one more hug and kiss, then he reluctantly winked himself home and called Richard, telling him he would be there in the morning.

Gail cried a bit more, but she was also smiling through her tears. She wished she could go with Cas to the fair. But he had been so sweet to come here like that. It had taken months, but she could see the horizon up ahead, and on the other side of it she was pretty sure she could see the place she'd been wanting to get to. A happy little town called Forgiveness. She just had to go a little bit further.

The next morning, Cas dressed in jeans and a shirt, and he made sure Gail's photo was tucked into his shirt pocket. The pocket next to his heart, of course. He carried it with him everywhere he went; he liked to take it out and look at it whenever he started to feel sad. But these days, when he looked at it, it made him smile instead of crying, and that was progress. He was smiling now. He WAS taking her with him to the fair, in a way.

Then he grabbed the envelope with Richard's money in it, stuffed it into his pants pocket, and left the apartment.

Cas took the bus there, and he met the group at the gates outside of the fair. He was a few minutes early, so he took Richard aside and gave him the envelope, explaining what it was for.

Richard glanced into the envelope and he was astonished to see the number and denominations of the bills in it. "How much is here, Cas?" he asked.

Cas shrugged. "We didn't really count it," he replied casually.

"'We'?" Richard asked.

"Yes. Gail and I," Cas said, smiling. "She gave me some money to add to the envelope."

"She's here?" Richard asked him. "How's she doing? Why didn't you bring her?"

Cas cursed himself. He'd told Richard she was in the States, recuperating. And she was. But how could they have been together here, then, last night?

"She's still on the mend, Richard. I would have loved to have brought her, but she had to fly out suddenly last night. One of her brothers is very ill, and she had to get back."

Richard frowned. "You guys aren't having a good year, are you?" he said, shaking his head.

"No, we aren't," Cas said soberly, but then he brightened. "Things are slowly getting better, though. And we hope that money will help people."

"It will, Cas," Richard said, smiling at him. He clapped Cas on the shoulder. "Now, come on. Let's have some fun."

Now Cas really wished Gail was here with him. He wondered if she'd ever been to the fair before. In a way, it reminded him of Las Vegas. The rides, the sounds, the smells...the sensory input was almost overwhelming. And everywhere he looked, there were couples holding hands and laughing. But he was going to do his best not to feel too sad. The people on the crew had invited him here today to include him, and Cas was grateful for their kindness. So he didn't want to spoil anyone's fun by moping around.

So when Sydney, one of the lighting guys, elbowed Cas and said, "Have we got the ride for you," Cas smiled and let Syd lead him to something they were calling "The Wheel of Death".

Syd smiled at Cas. "Hey, you may be fearless on the set, but I can't wait to see you on this," he teased. "I rode it last year; nearly crapped my pants. I've seen tough guys faint on this thing."

Cas rolled his eyes. It was a weird-looking contraption, but he didn't think it would be that scary, really. Syd was just giving him a hard time.

"We'll see, Syd," Cas said, reaching into his wallet for money to buy a ticket. "But if I'm going, you have to come with me." Cas smiled at him.

Geez, Syd thought. He'd really hated that thing. But he really wanted to see Cas freak out. This was the scariest ride at the fair, and Cas was always so stoic. They always joked about him on the set. But not in a mean way; they all liked Cas. There was just something about him that drew people to him. But that didn't mean they were above teasing him sometimes. So Syd was looking forward to seeing Cas's reaction to the gut-wrenching twists and turns of the ride. It even went upside down a couple of times, and the cars were open cars. No cage, just a steel bar and straps holding you in. When the car went upside down, you felt as though you were going to fall right out of it onto the ground way below.

As they moved up in line to board the ride, Syd said, "Do you have your cell phone in your pocket?"

Cas shook his head. "No, I left it at home today." He'd felt a little weird about that, actually, but he didn't plan on being here that long, and he thought that it would be OK. Gail would be chairing the meeting this morning and Dean would be at the hospital, and if anyone needed him, he could get a call on Angel Radio.

"Good," Syd said. "'Cause when you go upside down, it could fall out of your pocket and kill somebody below. I know we kill a lot of people on the show, but I'd hate to see you kill somebody in real life."

Cas's stomach clenched. Poor Syd. He had no idea.

They boarded the ride. Syd and Cas sat together in the same car. The ride started up. "Here we go," Syd said. He was grinning, but his guts were churning. Cas was going to be sorry he'd agreed to this. Oh well, at least they'd be scared together.

Cas was actually enjoying it. He liked the sensation of going fast, and feeling the wind on his face. Poor Syd looked terrified, but Cas was smiling. Then they went upside down, and that was kind of strange, but Cas didn't really mind that either. It was fun to see the ground from this perspective; he just wished the ride were a little slower so he could observe it longer.

But when they went upside down for the second time, a gust of wind that had seemed to come from nowhere puffed Cas's shirt pocket open and Gail's photo went flying out of it. He watched helplessly as the wind took it, and then he lost sight of it.

Now Cas was horrified. He hadn't exactly forgotten that the picture was there, but he hadn't thought...he just hadn't thought. He cursed himself. What was he going to do?

Syd was smiling. Finally, Cas was reacting to the ride. He now looked just as nauseous as Syd felt. Wait till he told the others. Apparently, some things did scare Cas, after all. But thank God, the ride was nearly over. Maybe Syd and Cas could go off somewhere and throw up together after they got off.

As soon as the ride stopped, Cas leaped out of the car and ran off the ride's platform. He still felt a little lightheaded from the vertigo, but it was mostly from the panic. He had to find that photo. Syd ran after Cas, feeling guilty now. He should never have goaded Cas into this; the guy obviously felt really sick.

"Cas! Wait up!" Syd called after him. Cas stopped and turned around.

"I'm sorry, man," Syd said, grabbing Cas's arm. "Are you OK?"

"No," Cas said, panicked. "My photo is gone. I have to find it, Syd."

Syd was puzzled. "Photo? What photo?"

Richard walked up to them. "What's the matter?" he said, seeing how upset Cas was.

"My picture," Cas said, turning to Richard. "It flew out of my pocket when I was on the ride. It's of Gail and I in Las Vegas. It means a lot to her, and I should have been more careful with it. I have to get it back, Richard!" He was frantic now, looking around on the ground, hoping it had landed somewhere near the ride.

"It could be anywhere by now," Syd said.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Cas retorted.

"We'll help you look for it," Richard told Cas. He could see how upset Cas was over losing it, and he knew that the couple had had to be apart a lot while Gail was in recovery. Richard suspected the picture meant just as much to Cas as it did to Gail; maybe even more.

A few of the crew members overheard, and they all fanned out to look. Nothing. Cas was crazy now. He had to find that photo. He didn't care if it took all day; he wasn't leaving here without it.

Finally, one of the wardrobe girls, Zoey, called out: "Is this it?"

Cas ran over to her. She was holding up the photo, shaking the dirt from the ground off of it. She handed it to Cas, who let out a breath of relief. He wiped the photo on his pants to get the rest of the dirt off it, then hugged Zoey impulsively. "Thank you, Zoey. Thank you very much," Cas said. Then he pulled out of the embrace and looked at the photo again. Then he did two more things, one of which was very sweet, and the other was very bizarre. He kissed his fingers and touched them to the photo, then put it back in his shirt pocket, touching his heart with his hand. Then he looked up and said, "Thank you, Father."

Zoey looked at him, bemused. She would never have thought that Cas was one of those religious guys. He just acted like...well, a guy. But now that she thought about it, that might make sense. He had been invited out with the crew for drinks a number of times, and he'd always politely declined. He didn't seem to do anything but work and then go home, then return to work again. Apparently, Cas lived like a monk. Zoey guessed she could understand why, now that she'd seen the way he had treated the picture. None of the crew knew much of anything about Cas; Richard was the only one who knew the "full story" about Gail, and he had not told anyone anything. If Cas wanted to share, that was fine, but Richard was not a set gossip.

Cas was happy now, and he trailed along with the group as they walked down the midway. He still couldn't get over the sights and the smells. No wonder so many people came here.

Syd put his hand Cas's arm. "Here, this one's a lot better. Plus, it'll cool us off."

The sun was out in full force now, and the day was becoming quite hot. Cas looked to where Syd was pointing. It was a water ride. People were riding around in a conveyance that resembled a log, and then they went up a steep incline and came splashing down.

"Let's go, Cas," Syd said enthuasiastically. "I don't know about you, but I could use a splash right about now."

Sounded good to Cas, too, but there was only one problem: there was no way he could get on another ride, of any sort. He wasn't going to risk losing Gail's photo again.

Richard saw Cas's hesitation and smiled. "If you trust me with it, you can give me your picture to hold," Richard said quietly to Cas. "I don't do rides. I leave them for the young ones, like Syd here. And you." Cas smiled inwardly at that. Young, indeed. He hadn't been a young anything since the time of Creation.

Cas hesitated a second, but of course he trusted Richard, so he reached into his shirt pocket and handed the photo to his boss, thanking him. Then, just for good measure, he handed Richard his wallet, too. Cas had seen how wet people looked when they'd gotten off the ride. Then he and Syd lined up and boarded the ride.

Cas enjoyed the spectacular view as the log car climbed the incline. This really was a beautiful city. He hoped he and Gail could spend some time here once everything was resolved on her end.

Then they were careening down, and the water splashed on Cas, refreshing him. That had been fun, he thought. But suddenly, the log car began to rock back and forth, and then it tipped over, spilling Cas and Syd into the water. Cas was submerged for a moment, and the water was extremely cold. It had been refreshing for a moment, but when he emerged, his teeth were chattering. Who knew the water would be that cold?

The ride attendants came over and helped Syd and Cas climb out of the water. "I'm sorry," one of them said. "I've never seen that happen before."

Cas and Syd looked at each other, and Syd shrugged. "Hey, stuff happens. I was complaining about being hot. Careful what you wish for, I guess."

There was a tickle in Cas's brain for a moment when Syd had said that, but as he and Syd joined the rest of the group on the midway, the sun was already drying him off and warming his skin, so Cas shook it off. A little adventure to tell Gail about, nothing more. She would probably laugh at the thought of him standing in the water, dripping wet. He certainly wouldn't be telling her about the other incident, though. He didn't want her to think he had been careless with her photo.

God ticked the second item off the list. He had administered the first two punishments for the Sins. The punishment for Pride was to be broken on the wheel, so God had scared Cas on the "Wheel of Death", sending the gust of wind to take Gail's photo away. But He hadn't wanted Gail to pay by losing her precious picture, so He had allowed Castiel to get it back. Then He had administered the punishment for Envy/Jealousy, which was to be put in freezing water. So far, so good.

As the group walked along the midway, Syd asked Cas about the photo. He could see how attached Cas was to it, and Syd thought it was high time they found out a little bit more about their co-worker. Or found out anything about him, really. They actually knew nothing at all about the guy.

So Cas told Syd a very edited and highly abbreviated version of the story behind the photo, and about Gail, and by the time he finished, all the females that were in their group were sighing. What a sad and beautiful story. No wonder Cas was so aloof. He was just marking the days until the love of his life recovered from the vicious attack at the hands of her abusive ex-boyfriend. Everyone felt for Cas now. The girls understood why he looked so sad a lot of the time; he must be missing Gail so badly. And the guys understood how guilty Cas must feel that he'd been unable to protect her from the guy. He must be a monster.

"Come on, let's go on another ride," Zoey said, pulling Cas by the arm.

"No, let's play some games," Brenda said, pulling him by the other arm.

"Come on, go easy on the guy," Syd told them. "What are you trying to do, dismember him? We need him for the new season, you know."

Cas pulled his arms away from the girls, but he was smiling. It was kind of everyone to want him to have fun. He'd been starting to feel melancholy again as he was talking about Gail, and the story about her abusive ex-boyfriend had once again cut too close to the bone. If these people only knew that Cas himself was the monster he was describing. And even though Gail's physical injuries had long healed now, her emotional scars had not. That was why she was still keeping him at arm's length, for the most part. He understood now that it was a matter of self-preservation for her. But he truly felt that they were on the right path now.

Cas knew that Syd had just been joking about him being dismembered, but that word had set off the tickle in Cas's brain again. Wheel, water, dismemberment. What was it about those three things that seemed so familiar to him?

"Well, I'm getting hot out here," Richard piped up. "I want to go into one of the buildings for a bit. They've got a reptile exhibit I want to see."

Cas's head snapped up. "Snakes?" he said to Richard.

"Yeah, Cas. They'll have all kinds of snakes there. I know some people are afraid of them, but I've always found them fascinating. And I need to get out of the hot sun for a while. Anybody who wants to come with me is welcome, but if you kids want to do some more rides, I'll catch up with you in a little while."

"I'll come," Cas said eagerly. He didn't know why he was suddenly so excited about going to look at some snakes, but he was.

But no one else wanted to go with them. They were at the fair; if they wanted to see reptiles, they could go to a pet store, or to the zoo. So they all arranged to meet back up at the International Food Court in an hour.

Richard and Cas walked into the building. It was very dark in comparison to the bright, sunny day outside, and it took a moment for their eyes to adjust. It was nice to be in the shade for a bit.

They walked past kiosk upon kiosk of merchandise until they got to the place where the reptiles were on display. Cas looked from cage to terrarium to cage again, appreciating all of his Father's creations for their unique characteristics.

"The show's about to start," Richard told Cas. "You've got to see this. I came here last year. The guy who handles the snakes picks a volunteer out of the audience, and then drapes the snakes all over them. Last time, the guy he picked was a big biker-looking guy. I thought the guy was going to faint at the end. It was really funny."

So Cas followed Richard and they took a seat on one of the benches in front of the little stage area. The show started, and the man brought out all kinds of reptiles, showing them to the audience and letting those in the front row hold them while he told the audience all about them. Cas was interested; he loved to learn, and the man obviously knew what he was talking about.

Then the assistants started to bring the snakes out, and as the man finished with each one, he would place it carefully into a large terrarium that had been set up on one side of the stage. Cas began to stare at the snakes, and his brain started to itch again. Then it dawned on him. Wheel, water, dismemberment, snakes...those were the punishments for the Seven Sins! His Father's hand must be in this somehow. Castiel had prayed to Him for penance, and God had clearly heard him.

Now the man was calling for a volunteer, and he mistook Cas's startled expression for terror. He called on Cas to come up to the stage. Cas sat there, frozen to the spot. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to, Cas," Richard said softly. He'd noticed Cas's expression, too. But Richard wasn't going to judge Cas for it. Everyone had their phobias.

"No, I want to," Cas said, and rose to approach the stage. The man began to talk about people's relationships with snakes over the centuries, going all the way back to Adam and Eve and the first temptation. Castiel gave him a strange look. He supposed it was just part of the script for the show, but it was weird hearing that, nonetheless. Cas could have given the audience a lot more details about what things had actually been like back then, seeing as he had been born just a few short years after that had happened.

Then the man asked Cas to stand spread-eagled, with his arms out, and he began to drape the snakes over Cas's shoulders and arms. He put a couple on the floor at Cas's feet, and they began to wrap themselves around Cas's legs.

At first Cas wasn't bothered; he thought it was kind of interesting to see the snakes up so close, and their movements kind of tickled him. But as more and more were added, and they started to wind themselves around him, he was starting to feel just a little freaked out. This many serpents all at once was becoming scary, Cas had to admit. Then the one that was wrapping itself around his neck faced him and opened its mouth, baring its fangs. Fearing it was about to strike, Cas reached out. His arms were heavy with snakes now, but he stroked the snake that looked the most threatening on top of its head and it closed its mouth, retreating.

The man who ran the show was astounded. He'd never seen anything like that before. His snakes were well-trained; they never bared their fangs at people. But he had never seen anyone stroke a snake on their head like that and get it to stand down, either. Maybe this guy should be doing the show.

Cas was breaking into a cold sweat now. Though he wasn't in an actual pit, he realized that he was undergoing the punishment for Sloth. Four down, three to go. He silently complimented his Father for His creativity. "Can you remove them, please?" Cas asked the man who ran the show, and when the last snake had been taken off him, he sighed with relief.

Then he and Richard were walking to the International Food Court, and Castiel was thinking furiously, trying to remember what the other three punishments were. He couldn't quite do it, but he knew that they wouldn't be pleasant; Biblical punishments never were. But he was also excited now. His Father had been paying attention to Castiel's prayers, and He'd known that Castiel had needed to go through a lot more than just loneliness and heartache in order to cleanse him. If Cas were to go through the traditional punishments for the Sins, he would know that his Father truly loved him.

Most of the group were already seated when they got there, and they drew up chairs for Richard and Cas as they approached. Everyone started chatting excitedly and Castiel looked at all of their happy faces. They really were a nice bunch of people, and he was now very happy that they had invited him here today.

"I need to have some of those little doughnuts," Zoey was saying. "They're so bad for you, but they're soooo good. But the lineup's so long."

Cas rose from his seat. "I'll get you some," he told her. He wanted to do something for her; she was the one who had found Gail's photo and returned it to him.

"You don't have to do that, Cas," Zoey protested.

"No, I want to." He gave her a warm smile. "You got me my picture back."

Without waiting for her to respond, Cas walked over to join the line. One of the counter workers opened the gate to the booth and said loudly, "Watch out, everyone. Hot oil, coming through." He was carrying a plastic tub full of the oil they fried the doughnuts in, moving past the lineup. Normally, they would just dump the used oil down the drain behind the counter, but it had suddenly clogged, and they were very busy, so the supervisor had asked him to take it to their other stall across the Food Court and dump it there.

The young worker tripped just as he was passing Cas and his grip slipped. He sloshed some hot oil on Cas's arm. Cas yelled with pain, jerking his arm away.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," the young man said. His supervisor was going to kill him.

"That's OK; it was an accident," Cas said, grimacing. Fortunately, he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt; his skin was scalded, but the injury was not nearly as bad as it should have been.

Zoey had seen what happened, and she came running over. "Are you OK, Cas?" she said, concerned. He had rolled up his sleeve to assess the damage. His skin was dark red there and it hurt, but it could have been a lot worse. Thank You for not dumping it on my head, he silently thanked his Father, smiling slightly. Castiel remembered now that the punishment for Greed was to be put in a cauldron of boiling oil; he'd certainly gotten off lightly.

Zoey was staring at Cas's face, bewildered. Not only did he not seem mad, he was actually smiling. "Oh, Cas, your poor arm," Zoey said. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Cas told her, rolling his sleeve back down. The young man who had spilled the oil on him continued to stand there, unsure of what to do. Did the guy need first aid? Should he report it to his supervisor, in case they got sued?

Cas looked at him and said, "It's all right. I'll be fine."

"Come back to the table, Cas," Zoey said.

"What about your doughnuts?" he asked her.

"I don't want them any more," she said. She felt a little sick now. He could have been really badly hurt, and she would have felt awful.

Cas shrugged and left the line, following Zoey back to the group of tables. His seat had been taken now, but Brenda said, "Here, sit by me, Cas."

He sat beside Brenda, and she said, "You've got to try this and tell me what you think." She had a piece of food on her fork and she grabbed his face and pulled it towards her. He was so surprised by her action that his mouth opened, and she put the food in his mouth. He could hardly spit it out in this company, so Cas chewed it, and he made a face. It tasted awful.

Brenda laughed and said, "I know, right? So it's not just me. Try this one, now." She did the same thing again, surprising him once more. He wanted to tell her to stop, but he hadn't swallowed the first mouthful yet, and now he had a second. The second morsel tasted just as awful as the first, and the two tastes together were horrible. But he thought he might be getting it now. His Father had struck again.

Castiel chewed and swallowed, and he made another face. "No more," he told Brenda, and she laughed.

"I'm sorry, Cas, I just wanted to see your reaction," Brenda said. "I guess that was kind of mean. You're not going to believe what you just ate."

Oh, but he was afraid he could. "Don't tell me," he groaned. The punishment for Gluttony was being forced to eat rats, toads, and snakes. He guessed God had gone easy on him because Gluttony hadn't really been an issue. Demons didn't eat, either. But he'd had to go through six of the punishments to get to the last one. He shivered involuntarily. Castiel now remembered very well what that punishment was, and the Sin that it corresponded to, and he knew he wouldn't be let off nearly so easily for that one, as it had been one of his most frequent offenses.

Now Brenda was touching his face again, laughing. "You have a - " she started to say, but he shrank back from her touch. She was becoming really forward now, and he didn't like it. Only Gail should be touching his face. Cas liked his co-workers, both male and female, and they all seemed to like him, but he had been aware for a while now that Brenda might like him a little too much. She worked in the wardrobe department wih Zoey and Nicole, and Brenda always seemed to be finding excuses to be adjusting his clothing. She'd never been overly aggressive, of course, but Castiel had noticed Brenda looking at him a lot, and it was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. And now, she was touching his face. He flashed back to Aurielle, doing the same thing to him in his prison cell during the tribunal.

"Don't do that," he growled, as he'd done with Aurielle, and Brenda looked taken aback. She did have a crush on Cas, but she'd only been trying to help him with a spot of dirt she'd seen there. She knew he had a long-distance girlfriend, but it wasn't as if she'd grabbed at his crotch, or anything. Though if Brenda thought she could get away with that, she probably would have done it by now. Cas was gorgeous, and he was mysterious, and Brenda was really attracted to him. But he had shrunk back from her like her touch repulsed him, and his sharp tone had startled her. She had never heard him speak to anyone like that before.

"Sorry, Cas," Brenda said in a hurt voice. "I was only trying to help. You have a spot of dirt on your cheek."

Cas was sorry he'd barked at her, but he hadn't wanted to encourage her in any way. "Next time, just tell me," he said stiffly, wiping his cheek with his hand. And then he got up and sat next to Syd and Richard.

After everyone had finished eating, the girls wanted to go to the fortune teller's tent, and they ganged up on Cas, propelling him with them. He'd had fun, but he was starting to feel like he wanted to leave. But he couldn't leave until he'd received the final punishment, though. Where would the fire and brimstone come from? he wondered. So Castiel just went with the flow. He had been easily led to his punishments thus far, and he had no reason to believe that his Father would not deliver him to the final one.

They entered the tent. There was a girl sitting at a round table at the far end of the tent who was dressed as a gypsy. Cas smirked; he couldn't help it. What a cliche. He knew a little something about real psychics, and he knew that they never dressed like this. But this was a fair, and the fair's business was entertainment. If the girls wanted to waste their money this way, it was none of his business.

"I can't wait to see what she'll say about you," Zoey teased Cas.

"Me?" he said, surprised. "I'm not going to see her. I'll just watch."

"Oh, no, you don't," Zoey said, smiling. "We all decided. You're going first." Then something occurred to her, and her smile faded. "It's not against your religion, is it?"

Now Cas was amused. "No, it's nothing like that," he assured her. "I just think it's silly." Well, under these circumstances it was, anyway. There was no way he would sit down with a real psychic right now. He had way too many secrets for that.

"Well, we're all here for a good time," Zoey replied cheerfully. "So, silly or not, you're going first."

The other girls were nodding, urging him to go. They were all dying to know what the fortune teller would say about Cas. Even if she was a total fraud, which she probably was, they would have things to tease him about for months to come.

Cas sighed. He might as well capitulate or they'd never leave him alone. So he approached the table where the girl sat and gave her the fee, then sat down across from her.

"Do you have anything that I can hold?" the girl asked him. "A watch? A ring? Anything like that?"

Cas shook his head. "No."

"Give her your photo to hold, Cas," Brenda said.

Cas turned around to look at her. "I don't think so," he said coolly. He was not about to hand Gail's photo over to a stranger, and he didn't appreciate Brenda saying that.

"What photo?" the fortune teller asked. "Can I at least look at it for a moment?"

Cas sighed again. He supposed she needed to see something personal, so she could begin spouting generalities about taking a trip soon, or something like that. And as soon as she noted that the picture had been taken in Las Vegas, that was probably what she would say. Still, he guessed there was no harm in showing it to her for a moment. Anything to get this started, so it could finish.

So he took the photo out of his shirt pocket and held it up for the girl to look at, but he held onto it tightly.

She peered at the picture for a moment or two, and then Cas put it back in his shirt, patting his heart, as he always did. The gesture was so automatic by now that he didn't even realize he was doing it. But the girls exchanged glances and smiled. What a sweetie pie he was. Brenda hoped this Gail realized how lucky she was.

The fortune teller stared Cas in the eyes for a moment. Then she brought out a candle from under the table and placed it in the centre. She lit it with a match and passed her hands over it three times, and then bade him to do the same.

Cas was bemused. Well, here was the fire; where was the brimstone? And just what was the modern equivalent of brimstone, anyway? Was he supposed to be burned by the flame of the candle? He passed his hands over the candle three times, as she had done, but nothing strange happened. Then he sat back in his chair, waiting for her to speak.

The fortune teller closed her eyes and said, "You have a great sadness in you."

Cas shrugged inwardly. While that was certainly true, it was a pretty general statement. Perhaps she'd picked that up simply by the expression on his face, or by the fact that Gail was obviously not here with him right now. They'd looked so happy in the photo; it wasn't a stretch for the fortune teller to guess that they weren't together at the moment.

Then the fortune teller frowned. "One of your closest friends is very sick."

OK, that one hit a little closer to home. Cas thought about Sam. But, while that had been more specific, she was probably just fishing, looking for a reaction. He said nothing.

Her eyes opened then. "If you alter what should have been, the road back will be a long one."

"What does that even mean?" Cas heard Zoey say from behind him.

"Yeah. He paid you your money; at least say something that makes sense," one of the other girls complained.

"Just one specific thing," Brenda chipped in. She knew this girl must be a fake, but it would be nice to hear something specifically personal about Cas himself, anyway. At this point, a Magic 8-Ball would be more forthcoming. Still, there was that thing about him being very sad. That didn't surprise her, really. Maybe he and his girlfriend were separated for a reason, she thought with some hope. Though that could be just about his sick friend, too. She'd been watching Cas's face avidly, as the other girls all were, and Brenda decided that that part was probably true. Cas had looked upset when the girl had said that.

"You want specifics? I can give you specifics. But they'll be horrifying." A man's voice, strident and harsh. They all turned to look at the tent entrance. An older man had walked into the tent and was looking at Cas with a peculiar combination of hatred and fear. He'd ducked in here on his day off just to say hi to Marjorie for a moment. This was his job right now, now that he'd moved away and made a fresh start. He'd sold the house at a loss just because he was so eager to get rid of it, so he'd needed to work just to cover the moving costs while he looked for an affordable new home. Vancouver was nice, but the house prices were insane here. But he had needed to go to another country after the nightmares had become too much, even though he'd known deep down that it was pointless. The evil forces could follow him anywhere, couldn't they?

Marjorie looked up. "Oliver, I'm in the middle of a reading here."

Oliver rolled his eyes. Marjorie was nice enough, but she did not have the gift. Still, she knew how to sound like she did, and clients frequently supplied their own fortunes anyway, based on how they reacted to vague, eerie-sounding, open-ended statements.

"You'll get nowhere with him, and I suggest you shouldn't even try. Better you should take the candle and set him to burn," Oliver said harshly.

Cas stood and looked at Oliver, his eyes wide. Of all the people to run into here. Oliver obviously thought he was still a Demon. "You have nothing to fear from me," Castiel told him in a soft voice.

Oliver snorted in derision. "You don't say," he retorted. He looked around the tent, regarding the girls curiously. "And where is your mistress?" Oliver sneered. "Are these girls with you now? Do they know what you are?"

Cas stepped towards Oliver, who shrank back at his approach. He should have brought his vial of holy water, Oliver told himself. "Don't come any closer," he said to Cas.

Cas felt sick. He had to get out of here before Oliver said anything else, something that would be impossible to explain to his human friends.

"Please, let me pass, Oliver," Cas said. But then he cursed himself. The man hadn't said his name out loud. Cas had been about to tell the girls it was a case of mistaken identity, but how could he say that now, when he'd just admitted that he knew this man's name?

"I'm all right now," Cas pleaded to Oliver. "Just let me leave. Please."

"What's the matter, Oliver?" Marjorie asked the psychic. It was true that he was a curmudgeon, but she had never seen him react to anyone like this before. "Who is he?"

"You don't want to know," Oliver retorted. "If I did a real reading on him, you ladies would run off screaming."

This guy was pissing Brenda off, being so rude to Cas like that, but she was also very intrigued now. She and Zoey exchanged glances, and then they rose and went over to where Cas and Oliver stood, eyeing each other warily.

"Are you a real psychic?" Zoey asked Oliver. Marjorie frowned at that, but she said nothing. She wasn't really a psychic, and she knew it. This was just a summer job for her.

"Yes," Oliver answered tersely.

"Well then, you're our man," Brenda said. "Cas paid for a reading, and we think he deserves a real one." She and Zoey grabbed Cas's arms and led him back to the table, sitting him down.

He didn't want to be here, he really didn't. But they'd had a hold of him, and he didn't want to get angry with them. If they had been men, he would have decked them and run out of the tent. But Castiel was also aware that he had not yet suffered the final punishment, and it would seem that here it was, in the person of Oliver. Cas could not leave the fair until his punishment had been administered. So he sat stoically, waiting, hoping Oliver wouldn't reveal too much in the meantime.

Marjorie stood to make way for Oliver, who sat opposite Cas, staring daggers at him. The girls all watched avidly from their seats.

Suddenly, Oliver lunged across the table and reached into Cas's pocket, taking the photo from him. The action was so unexpected that Cas didn't have the chance to react. Oliver sat back and looked at the photo, snorting in derision again. "You and the Mistress of Darkness, in Las Vegas. Why does that not surprise me?" Oliver was angry at the whole bunch of them, but that woman had been the chief architect of all of Oliver's misery. She had brought the King of Hell to his house, twice, she had loosed the witch Rowena upon the earth, and she communed with this beast sitting before him now. It was Gail's fault that Oliver's house had become so cursed he'd had to sell it and leave his whole life behind.

The girls from the crew all exchanged glances at that. "The Mistress of Darkness"? Wow. Was this an elaborate practical joke that Cas and the guys had conspired to play on them? The principal actors on the show played practical jokes on each other all the time, and some of them were pretty over-the-top. Could this be something like that? The girls started to smile. "Who is your girlfriend? Elvira?" one of them teased Cas, and they all laughed.

But Cas wasn't laughing; he was sweating bullets now. Oliver was holding the photo very close to the candle. Was that to be Cas's punishment by fire? Had he gone through all that panic earlier, only to have Oliver burn Gail's photo now? But that would punish Gail just as much as it would punish Castiel. And yes, to be smothered in fire and brimstone was the Biblical punishment for Lust, and they had both indulged numerous times. But these punishments were supposed to be Castiel's, and Castiel's alone. He knew the way his Father's mind worked to a certain extent, but no one could presume to know the mind of God. Still, this wasn't fair.

"Please don't," Cas begged Oliver. "Please. She doesn't deserve that."

"She doesn't?" Oliver said, laughing harshly. "She ruined my life! She may be the worst one of all of you."

"You're wrong," Cas retorted. "And, what life did she ruin, anyway? You live alone because you hate people, and you're an atheist. When you die, no one will mourn you, and you will not ascend."

"You don't say," Oliver said sarcastically. Cas's remarks were true, and that part about not being mourned had hurt Oliver, but he was not about to show it to this...thing. "Well then, I guess I'll see you both in Hell." And then he dropped the photo into the candle holder, burning it to ashes.

Cas lunged across the table as the girls all gasped. How could that psychic do such a horrible thing? This wasn't a joke, it was real, and none of them was smiling any more.

Cas grabbed Oliver by the shirt front with both hands, his face inches away from the psychic's. "You're lucky I don't have my blade with me right now," he said quietly, as Oliver started to quake with fear. "Still, give me one good reason I shouldn't strangle you until your eyes pop out of your head."

Oliver was scared, but he shot back, "Because the road to redemption isn't littered with dead bodies, Cas."

Castiel let Oliver go and sunk back into his chair, covering his face with his hands. Oliver was right, of course, but Gail's precious photo was gone, and for the second time now. She would be so upset. How could his Father be so cruel? What had happened was all Cas's fault, and so was this. He should have just left the photo at home.

Oliver reached under the table and brought out a small yellow cube. "This should be familiar to you," he told Cas sarcastically.

Castiel looked at it. Of course. He knew sulphur when he saw it, and he could smell it, as well.

"Go ahead, Oliver," Castiel said despondently. "It is what I deserve."

Oliver regarded him scornfully. Yeah. Whatever. Demons were like serial killers; they only acted sorry once you called them out for what they really were. Funny, though: when Cas had grabbed him, Oliver had felt a momentary flash of something. Cas and Gail talking to the man that Sam and Dean had brought to Oliver's house that one time. The one with the beard, who claimed that he was God. Sam and Gail kissing. Dean being attacked by Demons. But then Oliver had shaken his head. He no longer cared. If Oliver never saw any of them again, he'd die a happy man.

He threw the sulphur on the candle's flame, and the fire grew. A noxious yellow smoke rose from it, and Cas's eyes started to burn. The smell permeated the tent, and the women got up to leave.

"Come on, Cas," Zoey said, tugging at his sleeve. She was crying from the acrid smoke now, but she was also crying at the psychic's cruelty. What was wrong with him? They should never have brought Cas here. He would probably never want to speak to any of them again after this.

"You go, Zoey," Cas said calmly. "Take everyone and go outside. I'll be there in a minute."

Zoey didn't want to leave Cas there with the toxic smoke and with that guy, but the burning sulphur smell was overwhelming to her now, and Cas was a grown man, after all. A couple of the girls were coughing now, and Zoey figured she'd better help everyone get out of here.

Once Marjorie and the girls had left the tent, Cas leaned forward and breathed deeply of the sulphur smoke. It stung his eyes and his lungs were starting to hurt now, but he was an Angel, and it would not damage him permanently. But he needed to feel the suffering. This was what it was all about. He continued to breathe it in, thinking of all the times he had been cruel to Gail, leaving his marks on her body. Forcing himself on her. Making her conceal her condition from their friends and family as if she herself were somehow to blame. Cutting her with his blade, and that razor blade. He didn't care if he had charmed and manipulated her into it; when she had handed it to him, he should have thrown it across the room. But he had been too deep into the disease then, and so had Gail been. But that was his fault, too; he had injected her with his own diseased blood in the first place, once his insecurities had taken hold. He had forced that first dose into her, and then he had forced himself into her, and there would never be enough sulphur in his system to make up for that.

Oliver got up and exited the tent. He had hung in as long as he could, wanting to see Cas suffer, hoping the sulphur would poison him, but Oliver couldn't take the toxic fumes any more. Cas sat there for a few more minutes, tears streaming down his face. How could Gail even look at him now, much less be speaking with him? Be affectionate with him? Maybe it was just as well that the photo was gone. It only served as a reminder of how good things used to be between them, and how badly Cas had screwed them up.

The flame went out suddenly as a gust of wind descended on the table. His Father's breath. Castiel said, "Thank You, Father," and then he slowly rose, exiting the tent.

They were all gathered outside, and Zoey ran up to him. "Oh my God, Cas, are you all right?" she asked him, wide-eyed. "What was that all about?"

"I'm sorry we left you in there," Brenda said to him. "We just couldn't take it any more."

Cas nodded. "Is everyone all right?" he said, looking at the girls who had been in the tent. His eyes were red and still streaming with tears, and he wiped them with his hands now. The sulphur had been painful, all right, but that was nothing compared to the emotional pain he felt inside right now.

Brenda felt like crying, too. Just look at the way Cas had suffered, and he was asking about everyone else. Typical. If she ever saw that psychic again, she was going to scratch his eyes out. See if he liked how THAT felt. "We're fine, Cas. Are you going to be OK, though?" she asked him.

Cas sighed. "I hope so, Brenda. I really do." He looked at the group. "Well, it's been an interesting day, but I'm going to head home now. I have something to do tomorrow morning." He smiled, but without humour. Cas was supposed to look over the suicide clause from the ancient laws tonight, in preparation for tomorrow's meeting. How ironic was that? He no longer handled the blade at night, but if there were ever to be a backslide, tonight would probably be it. He had lost Gail's photo, and he had relived every moment of his abuse of her. But his anguish was only mental and emotional, and although he'd experienced a little physical pain here and there today, it had been nothing compared with what Gail had endured. He should just hand the blade to her and tell her to go to town on him. But Cas knew she would never do anything like that; she would not have done it even when she'd been a Demon. It was he who was the monster, not her.

Still, his Father had seen fit to mete out the traditional punishments, albeit in a very non-traditional manner. So what did this mean? Had God absolved Cas? That would be very good indeed, but it was Gail's forgiveness Castiel craved. But, why should she forgive him? And how could she? He still had no idea what it was like to walk a mile in her shoes.

Cas approached Richard. "I wonder if it would be possible for you to do me a favour," he said to his boss. "Do you think that I could talk to one of the victims at the shelter who would be willing to share?" Richard looked curiously at him, so Cas went on, "I need to fully understand things from Gail's point of view."

Richard was impressed. That was smart, and it was good of Cas to want to do that. Richard was sure that Gail would be going through some pretty heavy PTSD now over the attack, and whatever additional crap her ex-boyfriend had put her through before that to make her leave him. It must have been pretty bad, and Cas was obviously trying to actively participate in her recovery.

"I'll see what I can arrange," he told Cas. "I don't know if I can get you a one-on-one meeting, but maybe you can sit in on one of the group sessions, if they'll allow it."

Cas nodded. "That would be fine, Richard. Whatever you can arrange. Please call me as soon as you can."

They shook hands, and Cas walked away without saying goodbye to any of the others. He just didn't feel like talking to anyone else right now; he didn't have the heart for it. If anyone was the least bit sympathetic to him, he might actually have to take the blade to himself tonight.

He was almost out of the midway when he remembered: Gail had wanted a stuffed animal. Well, he had to get one for her now. It wouldn't replace her precious photo, of course, but it would be something he could give to her, anyway, if she would take it from him. Once he told her what had happened today and the reasons behind it, Cas didn't know if she would even be speaking to him.

He looked around for a game that he could play, one that would give him the best chance. He saw a game where people threw balls at a stack of three milk bottles, trying to knock all three of them off the stand they were perched on. That looked like it might be his best chance.

But when Cas walked closer and began to observe the game, it looked harder than it had originally seemed. He watched a couple of men try, but they either missed the target altogether, or they only knocked one of the bottles off the pedestal. Then one man hit the target right in the centre, but one of the bottles still remained standing stubbornly on its perch.

Castiel frowned. It looked so simple, on the surface. The target was not that far away, and his eyesight was excellent. He had thrown knives into Demons' chests from further away, for goodness' sake.

"This game's fixed," a man next to him stated. "The bottles have weights on the bottom."

Cas thought about that. Based on what he'd seen, that could very well be true. And while he understood that the fair was in business to make money, just as the casino was, that would hardly be fair if it was the case. The game was supposed to test a particular skill, and if a person was able to exhibit that skill, then he or she should receive their prize. It was that simple. Cheating to gain an unfair advantage was wrong. Well, unless you were in a life-or-death situation, of course. But if a plush stuffed animal was at stake? Cas didn't think so.

Cas stepped up and paid his money, receiving three balls for three chances. If he accomplished it even once, he could have his pick of the prizes available. He hadn't even looked at the selection. If he won, he would then choose the one he thought she would like the most.

After sizing up the target, he threw the first ball, and he knocked two of the bottles over. But the third, even though it had tottered for a moment, remained standing. Curious. He knew he'd struck the target well, and in the right place, too. That man who'd told him the game was rigged could be right. Another ball, the same result. Hmm. The young man who ran the stall clucked in mock sympathy. "So close, man," he said to Cas. "You almost had it."

Cas lifted an eyebrow. Really? Now he was sure that the game was fixed, and that this guy was "shining him on", as Bobby might have put it. Cas gripped his last baseball, telling Bobby silently to please look away for a moment. He wound up and put a little extra Angel oomph into his delivery, sending all three bottles flying off their perch. The crowd around him cheered.

"Lucky shot," the man who ran the game said. He smiled insincerely, wondering how this guy had done that. Unless he was a major league player on steroids, he shouldn't have been able to knock all three bottles down. They were weighted so heavily on the bottom that even the Incredible Hulk shouldn't be able to knock them over.

But he supposed he could suck it up for once. He'd made a ton of money today, and someone winning once in a while was good for business. "What'll it be?" he asked Cas, gesturing to the prizes hanging on the wall.

Cas scanned the prizes, and his pulse quickened. There was a stuffed moose near the top, and incredibly, it was hanging next to a stuffed squirrel. Should he ever decide to find thinking of his Brother amusing in any context, Castiel remembered that Crowley called Sam "Moose" and Dean "Squirrel". This had to be some kind of a sign. Cas was sure that Gail would find that really funny, and Cas could show her that he still had a whimsical side by bringing them both to her.

"I'll have those, please." He gestured to the young man, who shook his head. "You only get one," he told Cas.

But there was no way he could ever make that choice. "Fine," Cas said. "I'll make you a deal. Double, or nothing. I'll pay you for one ball. If I make the shot again, you give me both. If not, I walk away with nothing."

The man smiled. Sounded good to him. There was no way this guy was going to make that shot twice in a row. He set up three more weighted bottles, then handed a ball to Cas. "Tell you what," he said magnanimously. "You get this one for free." Then he stood back to watch.

Sorry, Bobby, Cas thought, but he knew that Bobby would understand. You could never split Sam and Dean up. Castiel hoped his Father heard that thought, too. He sent another quick prayer for Sam's recovery, then wound up and knocked all three bottles off their pedestal again.

The young man gazed, open-mouthed. The bottles were not only knocked off, they had almost seemed to fly off the stand. What was this guy, a damn alien, or something? Hopefully, he wouldn't want to keep playing after this. He hadn't done anything to cheat, so he couldn't be banned.

But once he got the stuffed moose and squirrel down and gave them to the guy, he had merely smiled briefly and said, "Cheating is wrong." Then he had walked off.

Cas walked out of the fair with a huge stuffed animal in each arm, and he waited at the bus stop. He felt a wee bit better now, but he was still very sad at having lost Gail's photo. If that hadn't happened, he would have considered the day to be a very good and productive one. He would have to thank his Father tonight.

Many people on the bus gave Cas strange looks as they boarded and saw him hugging two large stuffed animals and looking out the window with a thoughtful expression on his face, but he was oblivious to their stares. He squeezed the plush toys a little tighter. This had to be a sign. Tomorrow's meeting was scheduled to be the last one, and if they all worked very hard, they could have the final set of laws ready for Bobby's seal by the end of the day. Cas gave the stuffed moose an affectionate pat on the head, prompting a startled look from his seatmate. Castiel had committed the Sins, he had undergone the Punishments, and he was now ready to exhibit the Virtues. And the first step would be to let go of his jealousy and demonstrate selflessness. Castiel needed to put all of his energies into praying for Sam to wake up and be whole again. They all loved him, and they all needed him. Of course Gail loved Sam; why should she not? Castiel had loved Sam too, until the poison had gotten a hold of him and he had tainted all of their relationships with his jealousy. Surely his Father would take compassion on Sam and Dean. If Castiel needed to undergo more punishments in order that Sam and Dean could be reunited, he would do so gladly.

After Cas got home and said his prayers, he picked up his cell phone and called Gail. He wanted to know how this morning's meeting had gone, or at least, that was what he was going to lead off with. He really just wanted to hear her voice.

"Hi, Cas," she said. "Did you have a good time at the fair?"

"It was a full day," he answered evasively. That would be a conversation they would need to have in person. "How's Sam?"

"The same," she answered, sighing. "Dean has gone to the doctor's office here in the hospital. He's frustrated, Cas, and so am I. There hasn't been any change at all. Dean's gone to get some answers, or at least to try to get some. I told him I'd stay here with Sam while he was gone."

Cas was disappointed. Not that he had necessarily expected the miracle so soon, but he'd been hoping. He wondered what the doctor was going to say to Dean. He smiled grimly. The Dean he knew definitely wouldn't be leaving that office without a few definitive answers.

But he saw a bit of an opportunity, so Cas said, "Can you call me back and let me know what the doctor said?"

"Of course, Cas," she said.

"Well, I'd better go. I want to have a good look at that final clause tonight, and then I'll see you in the morning," Cas told her. "But please call anytime between now and then if you find anything out."

"OK, Cas, I will." Gail furrowed her brow. She was used to the way Castiel spoke by now, but she'd still been surprised that he hadn't told her anything at all about the fair. She didn't imagine he would have ever been to one before, and she'd thought he would have had at least one or two stories about his experiences there, at the very least. But maybe he'd thought it was inappropriate to talk about such a frivolous thing, considering where she was right now. No, that couldn't be it; she hadn't told him where she was until after he'd answered so evasively about the fair. She shrugged. Oh, well. He was bound to have loads of stories tomorrow; maybe he was just waiting to tell them to her in person. Hopefully he'd show up early so they would have a few minutes to talk about it before the meeting started. Or they could take a short break at some point. They would probably have to, anyway. Tomorrow might be a very long day. But it would be a very satisfying one. She expected that they would have the final version of the new laws drafted at the end of it; and if Bobby was OK with everything, he would put God's seal on the document, enacting it into law. Gail had a few champagne bottles in the bunker, and she was planning to put them in ice buckets and have Cas help her bring them into the boardroom at the moment that Bobby did that. It may be a little unorthodox for Angels, but it would be very symbolic. And that was kind of the point. If the new laws were enacted as they had revised them, Heaven would be a freer and much more inclusive place, and she thought they should all have a toast to that. Maybe she would even kiss Cas again, and see what happened. She wouldn't do anything inappropriate, of course, but maybe they could try an open-mouthed kiss just for a moment. Just to see. They had actually kissed that way a couple of times when they'd been Angels, but then that had been it. And if they did do that, she would have to ask him later in private if he had felt anything. He would know what she was talking about. And she had been thinking a lot lately about where she and Cas went from here. Once Sam woke up and she was sure he was going to be OK, she and Cas would have to have a very long discussion, about a number of different things. And if that conversation went well, maybe they could have another. And maybe that second conversation could take place in his bed. Then, if that conversation went to their mutual satisfaction, they could determine a location for their next bed. Together.

She smiled. "Cas?"

"Yes?" he asked her. She'd been silent for a moment, but she hadn't hung up, so Cas had been waiting patiently. He knew that she had been thinking.

"I love you," she told him. "And I'm really looking forward to tomorrow."

He smiled. "So am I. And I love you with all my heart, and with everything I am." But he didn't add anything self-deprecating this time. The guilt was still there, and it always would be, but that was not what they'd been working so hard towards. Cas knew that now.

That made Gail smile again. She'd realized that too, and she had noticed what he hadn't said. "That's all I ever wanted," she told him softly. "And that's an awful lot, Cas."

Cas's heart was warm. He couldn't believe that she could say that to him after everything that had passed between them. After everything he had done. But he knew that she really meant it. "Do you have anything you want to say to me?" he asked her in a light tone.

Gail knew what he meant by that, and she felt ready, so she said, "I'm really proud of myself. I think I'm a good Chairwoman, and I'm fair and open-minded. Oh, and I'm funny, too."

"You're all of that, and so much more," Cas said to her.

"What about you?" Gail asked.

Cas thought for a moment. "I'm humble," he said hesitantly.

Gail laughed. "You certainly are. Now give me some more."

Cas thought again. OK, he could do that. "I'm kind. I have morals. I'm loving, I'm patient, and I love to help people. And I'm diligent."

Gail was impressed. But she also couldn't let him get away with it, not entirely. "Are you SURE you're humble?" she teased, but she laughed, making sure he knew she was only joking.

Cas laughed. Of course she would say something like that; it was just one of the many reasons he loved her so much.

"I think we're there, Cas," Gail told him, her eyes blurring with tears. But they were happy ones, for a change. "Once Sam wakes up, you and I will sit down for a good, long conversation, OK?"

His heart soared. "OK. Goodnight, Gail."

"Goodnight, Cas." She hung up the phone, smiling, then turned back to Sam, telling him about her conversation with Cas. She got the usual reaction, which was none, but Gail still held onto hope. Just look at her and Cas. If they could come all the way back from what had happened between them, all things were possible. She put her hand on Sam's, praying for the thousandth time. Please, Father. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. Just please, bring Sam back to us.

Cas scooped up the stuffed animals and winked himself into Gail's room at the bunker. He placed them on her bed, propping them up against the pillows. It would be a nice surprise for her when she got back from the hospital, and she would know who and where they came from. He could just picture her face and her laugh when she saw them. She'd probably get into bed and hug them, just as he hoped she'd be doing with him someday very soon. Once she came back to him, they could talk and cuddle for hours, and he would never take her for granted again. Cas had been thinking about what might happen when the new laws were enacted, too. Could they then return to a physical relationship? And should they? If they both wanted to, he would like that very much. But he would be very gentle with her, and he would be very loving, and he would make sure that anything they did together was something she truly wanted to do.

He smiled down at the stuffed animals. They would receive a place of honour in his and Gail's new house or apartment, and so would their human counterparts, and Frank, and Bobby, and all their friends. Gail would have her home, and it would be filled with love and laughter. And Cas would conspire with Bobby to make sure she had the best Christmas ever this year.

Cas winked himself back to his apartment and hit the books in preparation for the following day's meeting, smiling as he read and made notes. He had so much to look forward to now.

Dean came into Sam's room and Gail looked up at him. She frowned when she saw his expression.

"What did the doctor say?" she asked Dean, rising from her chair to face him.

He was looking at Sam. "It's not good, Gail. He said there's virtually no chance that Sam will be - " his voice faltered " - Sam, even IF he ever wakes up. Not when, Gail. If. He's lost a lot of brain function, and if he wakes up, he'll probably be a vegetable. They said the brain injuries were too severe."

Dean broke down, sobbing, and Gail hugged him fiercely. "They could be wrong, Dean. Doctors are wrong all the time," she wailed.

"We've gotta face reality, Gail," Dean told her. He pulled out of the embrace. "I've been in denial too long." He swallowed, hard. "I've decided to pull the plug."

"No," Gail said, panicked. "No, we can't do that, Dean."

"I have to," he insisted. "You heard what I said." He was crying silently again. "Sammy wouldn't want - " Then he couldn't talk any more.

Gail pulled Dean's head down and touched her forehead to his. "No. You're right. He wouldn't," she softly agreed. It was obvious that Dean's mind was made up, and she knew how much strength it had taken for him to reach that decision. They couldn't be selfish now. They had to let Sam go. He would ascend, and she and Cas would see him again soon. She would have to ask Bobby how that worked. Could he come to Earth and be with Dean as an Angel, as Cas had done? It wouldn' be the same, but at least it would be something.

But Dean was frowning. "I know what you're thinking," he said, "and you're wrong. Bobby told me there's a list of people who are scheduled to go to the Netherworld after they...go. And Sam's on it."

"What? Why?" Gail asked Dean, bewildered.

"I don't know," he answered, and now his voice was angry. "Bobby told me the list was Classified, and he shouldn't even be telling me that much. So you can forget about Sammy sitting on a bunch of clouds learning to play the harp with you and Cas and the whole happy group. Not gonna happen," Dean said bitterly.

Gail was astounded. How could that be? Sam had dedicated his life to the eradication of evil, helping countless people, and he didn't even get to be an Angel? Now she was angry, too. What kind of b.s. was that? Who decided these things, anyway? Obviously not Bobby, or the issue would be moot.

"I'm pulling the plug tomorrow," Dean said shortly. "You and Frank and Bobby can be here if you want, but that's it. I don't want a crowd."

"That's it?" she appealed.

Dean was still frowning. "Yeah, OK, Gail. And Cas. Cas should be here."

Gail hugged him again, and he gave her a brief squeeze. "Now, go home," he told her. "Not to be rude or anything, but I want to spend one last night with my brother, just the two of us. I'll call you in the morning, when I'm ready to...when I'm ready." Then he pulled the chair up to Sam's bedside, taking his broher's hand.

Gail winked directly into Cas's living room, startling him. He had been making notes at the table in preparation for the meeting, lost deep in the ancient language. He looked up, smiling. She was probably here because she'd seen the stuffed animals and wanted to give him a hug to thank him, and hopefully a kiss, too.

But the smile died on his lips as he saw the expression on her face. "What's wrong?" Cas asked her, rising from his chair. My God. It was Sam.

"We've got to do something," she told him. "Dean's about to make a horrible mistake."

\- END OF BOOK 10. -


End file.
